A Servants Life
by CoffeeGirl09
Summary: Set in Victorian times but with modern aspects. Ianto is Jack's personal servant but in a society where rich and poor do not mix, will they be able to be happy together?
1. Chapter 1

Three petite blondes sat in the corner of a well scrubbed but old fashioned, even for their time, living area. There was a small wooden table with four rickety chairs tucked neatly underneath. An open fire blazed brightly to the left casting an orange glow across their thoughtful faces and a stack of forgotten medical files lay propped against the wall. This was the nurse's staff room at the Cardiff Institute.

They spoke with thick welsh accents, barely noticing the ever cooling cup of tea that stood before them on the table. They were on their break and eagerly discussing a new arrival.

The tall, handsome gentleman had been checked in by his parents that very morning. His "treatment" had begun immediately and he hadn't responded very well. He had been with the doctors for only 2 hours when the nurses were summoned and ordered to take him to his room.

"I was told his name is Jack Harkness," Millie leaned towards her colleagues.

"I know that family, quite well off and very proud of the family name." Karen nodded, "a gay son would seriously knock their reputation."

"He's due to go back to the doctor's in half an hour, poor soul." Gillian shook her head in disgust.

********

Downstairs, Jack Harkness lay on a folding camp bed in a private room. The conditions here were a lot less comfortable than home. His "treatment" was the doctors showing him various images in a small, dark room.

Thick leather straps were used to beat him when pictures of males were shown. Apparently, this was to teach him that homosexuality was wrong and he deserved to be punished and should therefore "straighten" him out.

However, the beating hadn't lasted too long as he had passed out. When he woke up, he found himself in his little room; aching and sore from earlier. There was also a sickly feeling in the pit of his stomach. It was all wrong. He shouldn't be here.

********

Ianto stood in the kitchen of the Harkness' family home. A party was taking place as Miss Cassandra Harkness was staying for a month. Ianto turned 18 last week and was now allowed to serve cocktails and begin his duties of servant instead of kitchen boy. Holding the tray of drinks firmly, he took a deep breath to calm his nerves. Although he had met Paul and Linda Harkness briefly before, he had never been beyond the door leading to the main part of the house.

"Hurry up Ianto," Sam, a fellow servant, urged him through the door.

Ianto walked gingerly towards the guests, offering people drinks from his tray. There was a man sitting on the sofa next to Linda Harkness. They were happily conversing with an elderly gentleman. The likeness between the pair confirmed Ianto's suspicions; the man was heir to all this, the much talked about son. Jack Harkness. He was a good looking man with dark hair and a dazzling smile.

"Sir, can I offer you a drink?" Ianto held out his tray, fighting to keep it steady in front of Mrs Harkness and Jack.

"Yes please. Sorry, what's your name?" Jack took a drink from Ianto as his mother politely declined and continued her conversation with the elderly gentleman.

"Ianto Jones, sir." Ianto, not sure what to do, offered a hand to Jack.

Jack looked down, appearing annoyed. He took Ianto's hand in his own, glanced up to face Ianto and smiled warmly whilst shaking his hand.

"Pleasure to meet you, Ianto Jones. Jack Harkness."

Ianto grinned back and returned to serving drinks as Mrs Harkness glared at him.

********

"Ianto, you're to be assigned as Master Harkness' personal servant," Mary, the head servant, informed every one of their duties," He's been diagnosed with the flu, needs to stay in bed for about 2 weeks. You must stay with him during the day and do whatever he says as well as feed him and give him medication, got it?"

"Yes ma'am!" Ianto mock saluted and began gathering Jack's breakfast and some medication.

********

Ianto knocked politely and entered Jack's room.

"Good morning, sir. I'm Ianto Jones and I'll be your personal servant for the duration of your illness." He smiled across the room at Jack who was lying in bed.

As soon as he finished introducing himself, Jack threw up all over his white sheets which were freshly changed less than an hour ago.

********

"Sorry Ianto," Jack sheepishly looked towards the bottom of the bed as Ianto finished buttoning up his new duvet cover.

"It's not your fault, sir." Ianto straightened up. "I take it you won't want your breakfast?" Jack's face turned a slight shade of green at the thought of food. "I'll take it back down to the kitchen."

"Thanks. Can you drop the sir please? It makes me feel old and uncomfortable."

"As you wish, sir... I mean, I'll be right back." Ianto stuttered, blushed and walked out the room.

About 5 minutes later, Ianto knocked lightly and poked his head around the door to check Jack was decent before he entered the room.

"I've brought you a glass of water just in case you get thirsty." Jack nodded in acknowledgment. Setting down the glass on the bedside table, Ianto looked around to locate a chair. There was a cream coloured sofa against the wall opposite Jack's bed. It didn't look right for a servant so Ianto settled down in a wicker chair by the window. "Do you think you'll be able to manage your tablets?" He turned the chair a little to face Jack.

"I don't think so. I don't really want to chance it. I'll just let it run its course, it's not like it's going to kill me." Jack chuckled quietly at the thought of a misdiagnosed 24 hour bug killing him. His laughter was cut short as a sudden coughing fit attacked him.

Ianto jumped from his chair and hurried over to the bed to help Jack sit up. "You need to be careful, sir...sorry, it's going to take some getting used to. Are you alright?" Jack's coughing had stopped. Not daring to speak and possibly start the coughing fit again, Jack simply nodded his head and took a small sip of his water. Fluffing Jack's pillows up, Ianto helped him lie back down again after putting the glass of water back on the bedside table. He wandered warily back to his chair, not entirely sure whether or not the coughing had stopped.

Ianto looked out the window at the fresh blossom that seemed to appearing over night on the ancient trees in the garden. Ianto loved spring time, it symbolised new life and a fresh start. He smiled as he thought of going for a walk through the garden in the evening. When he'd finished fantasying about nature, Ianto turned to check on Jack who was suddenly very quiet.

The duvet was pulled up to Jack's chin and his face was peaceful. Another smile spread like butter over Ianto's face as he gazed upon his sleeping master.

"Goodnight, Jack."

********

Ianto sat unmoving in the chair until around 4 o clock in the afternoon; it was then that Jack woke up.

"What time is it Ianto?" Jack mumbled whilst rubbing sleep from his eyes.

"4 o clock. Do you feel any better?" Ianto remained in his seat.

"Yes, I feel great actually. I reckon Dr Alexander diagnosed me wrong. I think I just had a 24 hour bug. I've got it out my system and just need to build my strength up again. I'll be fit as a fiddle by tomorrow tea time." Jack smiled and sat up.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that. Your parents were very stern when they said to make sure you stay in bed for the 2 weeks the doctor said."

"Well in that case, I would like a late breakfast please Ianto. I don't like my toast too well done and I'm not very keen on orange juice so I'll have a cup of tea please, one sugar and milk." Jack winked at Ianto as he dramatically sighed and rolled his eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

"Jack thinks he is fine now but Dr Alexander says he should still stay in bed for 2 weeks just to help get his strength back up. That boy always tries to play his illnesses down. I do not know what I would do without him." Linda Harkness smiled contently and sipped the tea from her expensive china tea set.

"There is something about him. He seems to be larger than life all the time but I still feel like he has another side to him; a more calm and shy Jack. I can't wait until he meets someone special enough for him to show that side to." Cassandra nodded.

Linda almost choked on her tea and placed the teacup back on the matching saucer and neatly onto the coffee table. "What do you mean? He does not need a 'special someone'. He is marrying Jessica Evans in a few months time! I do not wish to hear you say such thinks again Cassandra." Linda spat 'special someone' and her face turned a darker shade of pink instead of its usual porcelain white.

"I'm sorry Linda, it's just Jack doesn't look as happy with Jessica as I'd expected. It looks to me like a teenage friendship; both of them look slightly uncomfortable around each other. Almost like they're only doing it to please their parents."

"Well I will have you know that Jack told me the other week how very much in love he is with Jessica. I would even go as far to say that they would get married tomorrow if it was possible." Linda regained her composure and picked up her cup of tea and took another little sip.

"Hmm." Cassandra murmured whilst absently draining her tea. She wondered to herself if Jack had actually said that to his mother. Cassandra had been incredibly close to Jack when he was younger and always told and trusted her with everything. It seemed strange that he should suddenly change that bond. Perhaps he just hadn't gotten around to talking to her about it yet. However Cassandra could always tell when Jack was faking things to please his over expectant parents. This time seemed no different to any of the others.

********

"Hello, its Ianto, isn't it?" Cassandra collared Ianto as he was returning upstairs with Jack's dinner.

"Yes ma'am," Ianto stopped and nodded politely.

"Do you think Jack is up for a chat with me?" She raised her eyebrows innocently.

"I suppose so; I'm just taking his dinner up. You can come up with me if you like." Ianto gestured for her to follow him. "He is looking a lot better ma'am. He thinks it was just a 24 hour bug but Mrs Harkness says he should stay in bed for the duration of the 2 weeks." Ianto explained as they climbed the stairs to the second floor.

"Well, I presume Linda wants him in tip top condition for this wedding in a few months. Has he said anything about the wedding or Jessica to you?" Cassandra slipped the question into the conversation easily without it being suspicious.

Ianto thought for a minute. "Now that I come to think about it, he's not said one word about Miss Jessica." He frowned.

"Ianto dear, you don't need to be formal with me, it makes me feel old and mean." Cassandra ended the conversation before any questions could form in Ianto's mind.

"Okay." They'd arrived at Jack's bedroom door. Ianto respectfully knocked and then entered. Cassandra's suspicion grew as servants were not supposed to enter a bedroom unless they were given permission. Especially if the person was in the room at the time.

Ianto walked across the room and placed the tray with Jack's dinner carefully on the bedside table. He turned and smiled at Jack who smiled gratefully in return.

Looking around, he noticed his auntie Cassandra standing near the door watching them cautiously. "Hi, to what do I owe this pleasure?" He grinned up at her.

"I just thought we should have a chat. Ianto dear, would you mind if we spoke in private? I give you permission to have a wonder through the gardens, it's a beautiful day." Cassandra looked at him pleadingly.

"Of course, I've been looking for an excuse to go outside. I'll see you in half an hour Jack." Ianto waved goodbye and closed the door after he left.

Jack's gaze lingered on the door for a moment after Ianto left. Blinking, he turned back to his auntie. "So, what is it you want to talk about?" He was genuinely confused. His auntie never came to him; it was always the other way around.

"Well, I was talking to your mother earlier." Jack's face fell. No doubt it would be about the wedding; it was all she talked about lately. "She was telling me how much you were in love with Jessica. I know I don't really know the poor girl well but I know you and I can't help but feel that you aren't happy with Jessica. Am I right?"

"It's not that I don't like her, she's an amazing girl but I like her as a friend and I don't think that's going to change. I don't want to let my mother or father down. They are really proud of the family name and want me to marry someone with equal respect and let's face it, how many other families are as respected as the Harkness' and the Evans? None. They don't think anyone else is good enough for me. I know Jessica feels the same way I do. If I go through with this marriage it's going to ruin both of our lives and hurt our parents." On the last word, Jack's face crumbled and a sob escaped his throat.

"Hush now Jack. Everything is going to be okay. We'll figure something out." Cassandra held the sobbing boy to her chest and quietly comforted him.

"It's not...just that." He managed to choke out between sobs.

"Jack honey, I can hardly understand you, wait until you've finished with the tears and then tell me." His auntie's soft voice was soothing and he quickly stopped crying.

Jack took in a deep breath and felt a sudden rush of calm overcome his body at the sweet smell of her perfume.

"It's not just that I don't love Jessica." His voice came out shakier than he'd expected. Cassandra nodded for him to continue. "There's someone else."

Cassandra let out a disappointed sigh. "An affair? What did poor Jessica do to deserve that?"

"No! It's not like that." Jack chuckled at how his confession had sounded. The sound of the laugh had caught Cassandra off guard and she, too, was giggling at the misunderstanding. "The person I'm on about doesn't even know I feel this way; I don't even think they feel the same either. I'm so confused! All I know for sure is that I've never felt like this about someone before."

"Well, are you going to tell me who it is so I can get a clearer understanding of the situation?" Cassandra urged him to expand on his confession.

"I don't know if I should. It could cause more trouble. I could never ever go out with them. Mother would just die!" Jack looked shocked at the thought of his mother finding out.

"I won't tell her or judge you if that's what you're worried about." Cassandra smiled at her nephew's concern for her sister. Jack still looked doubtful. While Jack paused and tried to calm his nerves a knock was heard at the door and Ianto walked in, grinning at his trip outside. Jack immediately smiled back at him. "Oh!" Her hand flew to her mouth and Jack's face fell once more as he realised that his auntie had made the connection.

"Did I miss something?" Ianto asked innocently. His grin turned into a frown as he took in Cassandra's shocked expression and Jack's horrified look, both aimed at him.

"It's not...I mean, Jack...Really? Why didn't you tell me?" Cassandra stuttered to find the right words to say.

"It's true Auntie Cassandra, I didn't want to tell anyone because of those institutes's they have now. I don't want to go there and like I said, I don't know if they feel the same way about it." Jack hung his head, ashamed now to look at Ianto or his auntie.

"What's going on?" Ianto was completely confused now but had an idea that the conversation had something to do with him.

"Jack, I'm not going to tell your mother or father but I do think you should find out if they do feel the same way about you. If they do, we'll sort something out, but only if you're both completely sure. If not, nobody else need know about this." Cassandra reassured her almost hysterical nephew.

Jack looked at her pleadingly, knowing he had to confront Ianto but not sure exactly what to do.

"Look at the time." Cassandra looked at her watch. "I'd better be off. I'm meeting with your mother in 10 minutes, I need to go and get ready. It's been lovely talking to you Jack. It's a pleasure to meet you Ianto; we'll have to have tea before I leave." She patted Ianto's shoulder, nodded at Jack and left the room.

Ianto watched as the door clicked shut. "Ianto, sit down. We need to talk." Jack looked grim as he pointed towards the wicker chair. Walking stiffly, Ianto made his way to the chair and sat down. It wasn't his usual comfy slouch but a straight backed nervous perch. "I don't know how to say this but you've been my personal servant for a week and I feel that I've gotten to know you pretty well..."

"Jack." Ianto held a hand up as he interrupted Jack's difficult task. "I think I know what you're trying to say. I can't believe you have the guts to try and tell me that but I can see how hard it is for you and I want to save you the awkwardness." Ianto took a deep breath.

"Do you..." Jack stopped mid-sentence; afraid to say the rest out loud.

"Yes." He nodded and walked over to sit on the end of Jack's bed. "I really like you Jack."

A whistle escaped Jack's throat as he exhaled sharply in relief. The feeling that he was no longer carrying the world upon his shoulders disappeared and Jack knew the feeling was mutual. "I really like you too, Ianto." Ianto reached over and took Jack's hand in his own. They sat like that in silence for a few minutes; looking each other in the eyes, as if searching for any signs of doubt.

Finally, Ianto left go of Jack's hand and withdrew his own. Looking away, he whispered the question on both their minds. "What about Jessica?"

Jack sighed, "I don't want to talk about that."


	3. Chapter 3

Cassandra had been helping make plans for Jack and Jessica's wedding with Linda for a little over an hour and her heart wasn't really in it.

"I think we are ahead of schedule Cassandra, we will leave it there and carry on tomorrow." Linda neatened up the untidy papers on the desk.

"Yes, I'm just going to take a walk in the gardens, I'll be back in time for dinner." Cassandra dismissed herself and left her sister's office.

Quickening her pace, Cassandra headed towards the staircase instead of the front doors. She climbed hurriedly to the second floor and finally slowed to a walk. When she arrived outside Jack's bedroom door; not sure why she had actually came here. Just as she was about to walk away, Ianto opened the door carrying a tray of empty glasses from earlier that day.

"Cassandra! What are you doing here? Did you come to see Jack?" Ianto beamed and gestured towards the room with his free hand.

"Erm...yes, do you think he'd mind?" Cassandra raised her eyebrows.

"I shouldn't think so. He's decent so you might as well go straight in."

"Thanks Ianto." Nodding, Ianto carried on taking the empty glasses to the kitchen. Cassandra knocked to be polite and entered her nephew's bedroom.

"Wow Ianto, that was quick! Could you just not wait to see me again?" Jack chuckled to himself from the cream sofa. A surprised look struck his face as he realised it was not Ianto.

"I take it the talk with your friend went better than you expected?"

Jack's relaxed as Cassandra smiled at him. "Yeah, he feels the same way about me. When he told me how he felt and I told him it was the most amazing feeling! It was like this huge weight was lifted off me and I can finally breathe again. I can be myself around him. It was something I didn't realise was wrong before but now that I know what it feels like to be free from that burden, I don't ever want to go back to what it was like before. I wish I could be myself in front of my parents and everyone else but let's face it; it's never going to happen."

Cassandra nodded. "I'm really happy for you Jack but you're going to have to try and sort something before the wedding."

"I know." Jack looked away; he'd been avoiding the same conversation with Ianto.

********

"Jack! Your parents will kill you if they see you out of bed! No, scratch that, they'll kill me!" Ianto glared at his master as Jack stood, still in his blue and white striped pyjamas, at the door to his bedroom. With only a few days left of his 2 week 'imprisonment', Jack was getting tired of looking at his bedroom walls and had decided to risk going for a walk.

"I'm not going far Ianto. Honestly! Do you really think I'd just let them punish you for me walking around?" Jack watched as Ianto thought this through.

"You wouldn't really be able to stop them Jack. Their orders are supposed to be a priority." Ianto closed his eyes as he imagined the trouble he would be in for messing up his first official duties and disobeying his masters.

"Ianto," Jack approached Ianto and cupped his face in his hands. "Don't worry; I'm only going to go for a little walk around this floor so nobody should catch me. You can stay here and I'll be back in 5 minutes. Okay?"

Ianto sighed and leaned into Jack's touch. "Okay."

"Good." Jack briefly pressed his lips to Ianto's. "See you in a few." He gave him a mischievous grin that was full of affection and made Ianto's heart swell with happiness and left the room. Even though they'd been together almost all day every day for nearly two weeks, Ianto still found it hard to believe that Jack actually wanted him instead of Jessica. Everyone in Cardiff knew the Harkness' and Evan's as the most well respected families and owned a large amount of the land around the city due to inheritance. In most people's eyes, it was only fitting for the Evan's only daughter and the Harkness' only son to marry and join the two families together.

However, it was not only that which was on Ianto's mind as Jack left the room; Jack had kissed him! The furthest they'd got was holding hands or an intimate hug. It wasn't because they were unsure about their feelings for each other. It was fear. Fear of getting caught. It wasn't something the rest of Jack's family would take lightly and both men were fully aware of the Institute's that had recently been introduced.

A strange sensation washed over Ianto as he collapsed on Jack's bed; a mixture of serenity and happiness. The serenity made him feel safe and protected; he knew he could rely on Jack. The happiness was different; it made him feel care free, he was almost lost in his and Jack's own little world where nothing else mattered. They were safe to be themselves there.

Sighing contentedly, Ianto lay back and threw his arms over his head so he was sprawled out on the bed; his eyes closed.

"Oh my goodness!" a woman cried from the door. Ianto's eyes snapped open; he bolted upright and spun to look at who was at the door. Linda Harkness stood, her lips a tight, thin line told Ianto that his and Jack's safe little world had just come crashing down around him.

"Mother, what are you doing?" Jack stood behind his mother, eyes open wide as he realised his mother would definitely make a connection and any assumption from the scene before her would not be a good one.

"Jack. I do not know what is going on here and I demand you tell me right now why you are not in your bed and why your servant is!" Linda still stood glaring at Ianto who didn't dare move until told to do so.

Jack paused for a minute but to both men that minute seemed to last hours. "I told you before that I felt better so I thought I'd go for a walk."

"I guessed you would get restless which is why I ordered Mr. Jones to make sure you stayed in your bed to ensure a full recovery. What part of that sounded like 'get into my son's bed, Mr. Jones?" Linda spat the words at Ianto.

"I wasn't in Jack's bed Mrs. Harkness..." Ianto started to make his excuse but was interrupted.

"Jack? Forgetting your manners now, are you? I do not want to hear your excuses boy! Just get back to your quarters and I shall hold a meeting as soon as possible to decide what punishment is most suitable."

Ianto glanced at Jack who looked apologetically at him. Knowing that arguing back would just result in a worse punishment; Ianto walked out of the room and closed the door behind him.


	4. Chapter 4

Ianto walked stiffly down the corridor and headed automatically for the kitchens; the only place he was allowed without permission. A lone tear fell silently down his cheek as he reached the staircase. Ianto's hand found the railing at the top of the stairs as he closed his eyes and took a deep, quivering breath; trying desperately to pull himself together before returning to the kitchens.

"Come on Ianto, you know better than to stand around crying, pull yourself together," he whispered to himself. Wiping the tears from his cheeks, he hurried down the stairs and arrived at the kitchen doors. Bracing himself for questions and snooping eyes, he pushed through the doors and heading, with his head down, towards the door at the back of the kitchen; the door leading to the servants quarters.

Ianto hadn't realised that it was time for lunch so the kitchen was in a state of chaos, nobody seemed to notice his presence and he was able to get into the room he shared with Sam Thompson; his best friend since he started working for the Harkness'.

Kicking of his polished black shoes, Ianto lay down on his bed and curled up into a ball and began wondering how he was going to get out of the mess he was in.

After half an hour, the door clicked open and slammed shut again; Sam had finished his duties.

"Hey Ianto, I thought you were meant to stay with Master Harkness until he's better, what you doing down here?" Sam innocently asked. He still hadn't seen Ianto's face which was still slightly red and wet from crying earlier. Walking round to get to his bed, Sam looked down at his friend to check if he was awake. "Yan? What's up? You can tell me."

Ianto looked up at Sam and debated whether or not he should tell him. "It's nothing."

"Ianto, it must have been something to make you curl up and cry. If you don't want to tell me, that's fine but I really think you should get it off your chest." Sam sat down on the edge of Ianto's bed.

Ianto lay there for another minute and Sam stayed to give him a chance to think about his offer. Letting out a breath he didn't realise he was holding, Ianto sat up to tell his friend about his troubles.

"If I tell you what happened do you promise not to tell anyone else?" Ianto raised an eyebrow.

"I promise."

"Well, you know how I was instructed to look after Jack...Master Harkness while he was ill." Sam nodded. "I know it was only 2 weeks but I feel like I really got to know him and we were friends. He is so different to the rest of the family and he treats me with respect; as if I was his equal." Ianto paused, unable to find the right words for what he was trying to describe.

"But you liked him more than a friend?" Sam tried to make this easier for Ianto.

Ianto nodded. "And he felt the same way! Lady Cassandra encouraged us to talk about our feelings and if it didn't work out between us then she said nobody need know about it but if it did, she'd help us sort something out." Ianto looked down at his hands in his lap. "Jack's been well for a week now but Mrs. Harkness wouldn't allow him to leave his bed. She said he had to make sure he was well enough for the wedding; which was another obstacle for us. We were going to plan something to stop the wedding but hadn't really got that far yet."

"Okay, so it all seems good so far, what went wrong?" Sam quizzed his friend for more information.

Taking yet another deep breath, Ianto continued, "Jack insisted on taking a walk, it was just around his floor but I didn't want him to in case he got caught because it would be me who gets punished for it and it might stop me being his servant in the future. So he told me relax and loosen up because he would never let his parents punish me for something that wasn't my fault." Ianto grinned as he remembered their earlier conversation.

"Ianto." Sam clicked his fingers to bring Ianto back to the present. "Can you carry on please?"

"Sorry. Well, just before he left for his walk, he kissed me; not a proper kiss but a kiss! So obviously I was shocked and he left the room. I felt amazing! I sat on the edge of his bed and leaned back; you know, taking in what just happened. Then Mrs. Harkness came in and saw that Jack was gone and I was on his bed. It mustn't have looked good and she got pretty mad and relieved me of my current duties until she decides what punishment I deserve." Ianto's face crumpled.

"I thought you said Jack would never let them punish you?"

"I did, he tried reasoning with her and telling her it was his fault but she wouldn't listen. What am I going to do?" Ianto buried his face in his hands in an attempt to hide the few tears that threatened to streak down his cheeks.

Sam felt sorry for Ianto. The Harkness' were not the best family to work for. For starters, they were too tied up in keeping the family name respectable to care about other people's feelings. Even their own son got forced into doing things he didn't want to do.

"Even though it's early, I think you should get some sleep and hopefully it'll look a bit better in the morning. Also, Jack will probably be by himself early in the morning so if you go to sleep now, you can get up really early and go see him and talk about what you are going to do. How does that sound?" Sam took control of Ianto's messy situation.

A laugh that sounded more like a cough escaped Ianto. "That sounds good." Sam pulled Ianto into a hug to help calm him down. "Thanks Sam. I didn't think I had anyone I could tell all this and you're right, it does feel good to have it off my chest."

Sam grinned and let go of Ianto. "Ianto, we've been friends since we were 5. I'm always going to be here for you." Ianto smiled. "Now get some sleep. I think I'll go to bed now too. Nighty night Yan." Sam climbed into his own bed and pulled the covers over himself.

"Night Sam." Ianto crawled under his duvet and thought about what he was going to say to Jack tomorrow. Sleep quickly consumed him.

********

"Ianto, it's half 5!" Sam shook Ianto awake. "If you want to see Jack you'll have to go now, everyone wakes up in half an hour!" At that, Ianto sat bolt upright.

"Thanks." He hurried towards the shower room but turned around again as he realised he wouldn't have time. Sam shook his head as he passed Ianto his uniform. Quickly throwing on his clothes, Ianto mumbled thanks and grabbed his toothbrush from the small sink in the corner of their room and brushed his teeth. He was ready to go see Jack.


	5. Chapter 5

Ianto stood at the door to Jack's bedroom. It was quarter to seven so he didn't have long before the other servants start waking up and going about their daily duties; possibly catching him.

Listening, he heard nothing stir on this floor. Ianto started to have second thoughts about going to talk to Jack. A million different things seemed to race through his head at once. Would he get into more trouble? Would Jack want to see him? Should he knock?

Ianto shook his head to help clear his mind. He had to do this. Taking a deep breath for what felt like the thousandth time in two days, he grasped the door handle and gently opened the door. Ianto glanced around the door to check if anyone else was there with Jack. After seeing nobody but Jack, who lay with the duvet cover pulled up to his chin, fast asleep, Ianto entered the room and clicked the door shut behind him.

Ianto stood still for a moment, taking in the sweet scent of Jack, the soft sound of his breathing, the warm breeze that drifted in from the open window. A smile spread across Ianto's face as he thought about the week before Mrs. Harkness found out.

A minute passed as Ianto stared at Jack's sleeping shape. Finally, as Ianto realised that he could not avoid it any longer, he walked shyly towards the bedside and gently moved the duvet away from Jack's face. He didn't stir.

"Jack." Ianto whispered, knowing that wouldn't wake him up he leaned towards him and gently pressed his lips to Jacks. After a moment, Jack began to awaken and softly started to return the kiss. Ianto moved away respectfully and gave Jack a small smile. "Good morning Jack."

Jack grinned at Ianto; a grin that melted Ianto's heart every time. However, the grin faltered when Jack remembered what happened yesterday.

"Ianto, what are you doing up here? What time is it? Does my mother know you're here?" Jack panicked at the thought of how much trouble Ianto would be in if he got caught in his room.

Ianto chuckled lightly and shook his head. Jack's questions confirmed that he still wanted him.

"First of all, I wanted to talk to you about what happened yesterday so I came here early so I could avoid your mother. It's about ten to seven." Jack nodded and a silence fell between the two men. Ianto sighed, "So, can we talk?"

Jack nodded again and Ianto sat down on the edge of the bed as Jack sat up. "Ianto, before we discuss what happened; I just want you to know that I know I didn't defend you like I said I would and there's no excuse for it but I was took by surprise and was, to say the least, shocked and didn't know what to do. I promise I'll talk to my mother today and take full responsibility for yesterday. I couldn't bare to watch you get punished." Jack looked directly into Ianto's eyes and Ianto saw that he was being completely sincere.

"Jack, I am concerned about getting punished but I'm more concerned about not seeing you anymore. I've never been as happy as the two weeks I spent with you." Ianto placed his hand over Jack's on top of the duvet.

Jack looked down at their hands and interlaced their fingers. He looked back up and smiled at Ianto. "If I can't get her to change her mind about the punishment, I could always ask you to be my personal servant and we could spend time together that way."

"Yes and I could come up here early in the morning or late at night and nobody would know!" Ianto's eyes lit up at their new arrangement.

Jack loved Ianto's blue eyes. They were like two crystals setting their gaze upon him. He also loved the way the blue seemed to get brighter when he laughed and smiled; which was often when they were together.

********

"Mother, I told you before, I relieved Ianto of his duties for half an hour while I went for a walk! It's not his fault." Jack had been trying to reason with his mother for almost an hour, desperate to get Ianto off the hook.

"And I have told you before Jack, it does not matter what orders you gave him, he was told by your father and I that he was to look after you and tend to your needs. Also, it is a servant rule that mine and your father's orders are high priority, nobody can override our orders, not even you, Jack." Linda had been trying to sort out invitations for Jack and Jessica's wedding when Jack started hassling her about Ianto Jones' punishment.

"Okay then Mother, how about if he was my friend? Would you still punish him?" Jack resorted to telling her half of the truth; they were friends after all.

"Do not be silly Jack; you know you cannot be friends with a servant. They are poor and dirty. We are not like that Jack. We are civilised, wealthy, high class people. It is just not right if we mix Jack. Now if you do not mind, I am trying to organise your wedding."

"Mother, it was my fault and I don't feel good knowing that he is getting punished for my mistake. Are you going to punish him?" Jack was getting tired of his ignorant mother.

"Yes and nothing you say to me Jack will change my mind. I also want you to stay away from him. I am not having any son of mine associating with people of his class." Linda turned away from her son and walked towards the living room.

Jack sighed. Why was his mother so ignorant? There wasn't much point having a lot of money if you can't be friends with people you love.


	6. Chapter 6

It was 6:00am and Ianto and Sam were still asleep in the room. It was Sunday and the servants were not required to work until 8:00am as everybody else in the house would be asleep for a little while longer.

They were abruptly awoken by a sharp knock at the door. They sat up in their beds and looked over at each other. Ianto's eyebrows were raised and Sam looked just as confused. Nobody ever knocked in the servant's quarters.

"Should we answer it?" Sam asked. Ianto shrugged his shoulders, not really sure what they should do. He was about to roll over and go back to sleep when he heard another knock; curiosity got the better of him and he climbed out of bed to see who it was.

Ianto opened the door fully so Sam could see from where he was still sitting. He hadn't seen who it was at first as he had stood on a pit of paper and had bent down to pick it up. He heard Sam gasp. Looking up, his heart skipped a beat. Stood before him was Jack; still in his dressing gown.

"Hi Yan." Jack smiled at him. Ianto couldn't think of anything to say. The only thought he had was how cute Jack looked. "Ianto, can I come in? I don't really want anybody else seeing me here, my mother might find out."

Ianto still stood, staring at him. Sam sighed and walked over to where Ianto was standing. He took Ianto by the shoulders and moved him to the side, gestured for Jack to come in and stepped closer to the door.

"I'm going to get washed. I'll leave you two to it." Sam grinned at Ianto and closed the door behind him.

The sound of the door clicking shut brought Ianto back to reality. He turned to face Jack and swallowed once to clear his throat.

"Sorry about that. I'm really not used to seeing anyone but servant's down here and when I saw you there..." Ianto tried to explain.

"I understand Ianto." Jack took Ianto's hand in his own and led him to the edge of the bed. He sat down so he could face Ianto. "I've got some bad news."

Ianto automatically assumed that something was wrong with Jack.

"Are you okay? What's wrong?" Ianto's eyes widened and Jack almost forgot to reply as he looked into Ianto's blue eyes. They showed so much concern and love. Jack didn't think it was possible for him to love someone so much but here he was, 6:00am on Sunday morning, sneaking around to be with Ianto. "Jack, please tell me."

Ianto's plea reminded him of what he had to do. "It's about us." Ianto's eyes grew wider. "I spoke to my mother for almost an hour. I tried so hard to get her to change her mind about punishing you but she doesn't care what I think. I even almost told her the truth! I've tried telling her how you're my friend but she just dismisses it and tells me that I could never be friends with a servant." Jack paused and placed his hands on Ianto's cheeks. "I don't want to see you punished and I don't want to forget about you either. I don't know what to do."

Ianto blinked. He was a bit disappointed that Jack couldn't change his mother's mind about the punishment but he didn't really expect it to work really. He looked up at Jack's face. Ianto usually felt a constant need to search Jack's eyes for any sign of doubt but he never found any. When he looked at him now, he knew he would never have any reason to not believe Jack. Ianto looked away, not knowing what to say.

"Ianto," Jack turned Ianto's face so he could look at him. Jack sighed and started again. "Ianto, I don't know how strongly you feel about me and I don't know how this is going to turn out but I know one thing I love you."

Ianto really didn't know what to say to Jack now. His mind raced. Jack had just told him that he loved him. Despite how much trouble they would both be in if the wrong people found out. He suddenly felt stupid; Jack Harkness had just told him that he loved him and he was just sitting there staring at him.

Jack began to think that it was a mistake telling Ianto that. He didn't even know if Ianto felt the same. He was about to get up and leave when Ianto leaned closer, Jack could feel his breath on his face; he closed his eyes. His heart pounded so hard in his chest that he thought it might burst. Ianto moved even closer and pressed his lips to Jack's. Jack immediately returned the kiss. It started off nervous and cautious but as they both started to feel comfortable, they relaxed into it and started to enjoy each other. Jack's hand left Ianto's face and ran through his slightly tangled hair and rested it there. They remained in that position for a few more minutes until Sam came stumbling back in the room. Ianto pulled away from Jack without delay and his face went red.

"Whoa! Sorry to interrupt but Mary's coming around to wake everyone one up and I don't really think that she would keep it quiet if she found you down here." Sam stood in the doorway with a towel wrapped around his waist; dripping slightly on the floor.

Jack was still looking at Ianto and was replaying what had just happened in his head. Ianto stood up and looked back down at Jack.

"Jack, I think it would be best if you went back to your room now. We don't want to get into any more trouble than we are already in." Ianto tried to think rationally. He found it hard when he knew Mary would be here any minute now.

"You're right; I'll find my Auntie Cassandra and ask for her advice on this. I'll see you later." Jack stood next to Ianto and gave him one last kiss. He stepped back from Ianto and looked over at Sam. "Thank you Sam." He said simply and left the room.

Not even a minute after Jack left the room; Mary knocked and entered their room to make sure they were up.

********

Jack had hoped to see Cassandra at dinner but her seat was empty. This was not unusual, she tended to come and go as she pleased and liked to spend most midday's in the gardens; walking through the flowerbeds and by the pond and bask in the sun.

"Mother, may I be excused?" Jack politely asked his mother; he felt that he needed Cassandra's help urgently and going to find her seemed like the best plan.

"Of course you can Jack. Is there something wrong?" Linda was confused by her son's distant attitude. He had not spoke throughout the meal and generally stayed afterwards to catch up with other members of the family. It was not like him to want to be by himself.

Jack picked up on this and knew he couldn't tell her the truth. "I just need some fresh air, I probably ate too much. I'll be fine. I'll be back soon." Jack flashed her a weak grin.

He left the table before anyone else could ask a question and slipped out the big oak doors. As he stepped into the midday sun, he breathed deeply. The fresh air filled his lungs and helped clear his head a bit. Looking around, he spotted Cassandra sitting on the grass next to the pond. He made his way down the steps and wandered through the flowerbeds which led to the pond; he was in no hurry as he was confident that Cassandra wasn't going anywhere soon.

Within five minutes he had arrived at the opening of the hedges and had a clear view of the pond. Cassandra looked up when she heard footsteps. Smiling, she gestured for Jack to sit beside her.

"I heard about what happened between you and Ianto and your mother." Cassandra simply stated.

"Are you mad?" Jack stared out over the pond; he didn't dare look at her.

"No. I told you that I'd be there for the two of you." Cassandra placed her hand over Jack's knee to comfort him; it was obvious to her how much pain he was in.

"She's going to punish him and stop me from seeing him!" Jack had been bottling all his pain up since it happened and the tears started to fall freely down his face. Unlike before, Cassandra made no attempt to stop them; she felt it was probably best if he cried it out.

"She doesn't actually know about you and Ianto. She just thinks that Ianto has been slacking off his servant duties and forgetting his place under your influence." Cassandra explained what Linda had already said to her. Jack nodded. "Until we figure out what to do about the wedding, the two of you are going to have to be even more cautious and under no circumstances can you get caught."

"I know. It's just going to be so hard; I want to be with him every second of every day. Not just for half an hour after everybody goes to bed or before people wake up. Even then we'll be constantly on edge in case somebody catches us." Jack began to compose himself and the tears gradually stopped. "The hardest part is knowing that he is going to get punished for my stupidity!"

"Jack honey, your mother has only punished one servant in her entire life; even that she screwed up. She told him he was not allowed to complete his duties for a week. She gave him the week off! It might even benefit you and Ianto."

Jack thought about this and a smile slowly spread across his face. Leaning over, he gave Cassandra a hug and stood up. "Thanks Auntie Cassandra. I'm going to go back up to the house now; mother thinks I only went out for some fresh air. Are you coming up?"

"No, I think I'll just stay here for a bit longer. I'll see you inside later." Cassandra waved him away and lay back on the grass, enjoying the warmth of the sun on her face.

********

Jack sat impatiently in his room, he had told Sam to tell Ianto to meet him in his bedroom at 7:00pm. This was when his mother would be busy with Cassandra and he would not have to worry about anybody else disturbing him and Ianto.

When he heard a knock at the door, he jumped from the bed and practically ran to the door. He pulled the door open and was shocked when he saw Sam standing there, wide eyed.

"Sam? I said tell Ianto to come here." Jack raised his eyebrows.

"I know but Mrs Harkness has decided his punishment and he can't come. Jack, you've got to try and stop your mother!" Sam's voice sounded urgent.

"I've tried," Jack sighed. "She won't listen. Do you know what the punishment is?"

Sam nodded.

"Well? Is it bad?" Jack wished he would just spit it out.

"She's going to have him beaten outside in half an hour!" Sam exclaimed.

"What?" Jack panicked.

"He's getting hit seven times and everybody in the house is being ordered to watch!" A tear fell down Sam's cheek.

"Why is everybody being ordered to watch?" Jack stood, confused at the punishment.

"I don't know; something about making an example of him. All the servants have to be there too. I can't watch him get whipped!" More tears started to flow down his cheeks.

"Neither can I." Jack stated.

"You are not allowed to be there. I was sent up to lock you in your room. Your mother said that you're too involved in all this." Sam produced a key from his pocket. "I'm sorry Jack."

"It's not your fault. I don't believe she's really going to do this to Ianto." Jack closed his eyes. "What am I going to do?"

"These punishments aren't meant to permanently damage. Ianto should be fine in week or so but that's not really the point. He hasn't done anything wrong!" Sam cried.

"I know Sam." Jack placed a hand on the servant's shoulder. "You really should go now. You don't want to get in trouble too." Sam nodded. "Would you tell Ianto that as soon as he can, come see me?" Sam nodded again. "Sam?"

"Yes sir?" Sam managed to choke out.

"We need to be strong for him." Jack told him.

"Yes sir." Sam agreed and left the room; he closed the door he slid the key into the keyhole and made sure it was locked before he made his way downstairs and into the gardens.

Jack sat on the edge of his bed and put his head in his hands. He let the tears flow down his cheeks for the second time today.

"My Ianto." Jack whispered through his tears.


	7. Chapter 7

Ianto stood at the bottom of the stony path that led to the Harkness house. Mrs. Harkness had decided that his punishment was seven lashes in front of everybody in the house. He didn't know whether Jack was being made to watch or not. People were starting to gather around the path. Sam was there; his face was red and looked moist. His eyes were puffy and he couldn't look at Ianto. Ianto watched him for a moment; it was obvious that Sam felt both guilty and sorry for his friend. It wasn't only Sam who looked upset; every servant was present and every one of them looked towards the ground with saddened expressions. All of them thinking the same thing; put one two out of like and it could be any of them getting seven lashes.

Mrs. Harkness appeared at the doorway. Looking smug. Ianto was the first servant she was going to punish properly and he was going to be made an example of. Hopefully it would deter others from going against the rules. She looked around at the small but significant crowd and decided that it was time. Coughing gently to clear her throat and grab the attention of the crowd, she looked directly into Ianto's eyes and gave him a mocking smile. Turning back to the crowd she began her much practised pre-punishment speech.

"First of all, I would like to thank everybody for being here. I also think it is fitting that I remind Ianto Jones why he is being punished today and let everyone else know that this is what disobeying orders results in." She paused for effect and her eyes surveyed the crowd. Mr. Harkness stood silently at her side, his eyes never leaving Ianto. A clear look of disgust plastered across his face. "Ianto Jones, you are being punished today with seven lashes in front of an audience because you disobeyed my orders and started mixing with high class people such as my son. You knew what was expected of you and you still chose to disobey. Let the punishment commence!"

A heavily built man approached Ianto and tied his hands together in front of him with thick rope. Ianto sighed. He was terrified of what was about to happen but still found himself thinking of Jack and worrying about how he was coping by himself. A tear fell silently down his cheek as the whip was raised.

********

Jack started to pace the room. He glanced over at the clock; it had been around half an hour since Sam had locked him in his room. That meant that Ianto would be getting his punishment now and Jack was finding it unbearable to sit helpless in his room while the love of his life was getting beaten for a something that wasn't his fault.

"Argh!" Jack slammed his fist against the bedroom door. He couldn't decide what to do. He was glad in a way that he was locked away from watching the punishment; seeing Ianto get beaten would be too much to bear but being stuck in his bedroom while Ianto was suffering all alone was just as bad.

Jack flung himself on the bed and buried his face in the pillow and continued to shout in rage. He eventually calmed down a bit and started to think logically. If he couldn't help Ianto right now, he could start to plan a way to stop his wedding with Jessica.

Jack had always been friends with Jessica for as long as he could remember and he was almost as close to her as he was with his Auntie Cassandra. Ianto was more important to him than anything. Hopefully Jessica would see that and understand; she might even be relieved that she didn't have to go through with the wedding. Together and with a reason it would be a lot easier to convince their parents that they couldn't marry. But if she didn't see it the way Cassandra and Sam did...he didn't even want to think about what would happen then.

********

Ianto had planned on appearing brave at his punishment; didn't want to give Mrs. Harkness the satisfaction of seeing him cry but he the tears had started to fall before it had even begun and it was impossible to stop when it started. He took every lash with a small cry-like yelp but didn't move. His head remained facing the stony path until the last lash where he looked up and glared directly into Mrs. Harkness' eyes. He intended the glare to be as menacing as he could manage and he hoped that she would be able to read in his eyes that she had not won and a mere punishment would not be enough to keep him away from her son; the man he loved. However, he couldn't be sure how his glare looked but he guessed it was pitiful from the pain.

Mrs. Harkness grinned at Ianto's reaction. She didn't know how she would feel knowing that she was causing someone else pain but considering that this boy had disobeyed her and stopped looking after her son when it mattered to her most, it felt quite good. She enjoyed watching him get what he deserved.

"Thank you all for coming and I hope you all enjoyed watching justice as much as I did. Ianto Jones, you will be relieved of your duties tomorrow but the day after, I expect to see you working to the usual standard and not to disobey me ever again. You may return to your sleeping quarters now." She nodded curtly, turned and headed back into the house.

Mr. Harkness stood for a moment longer, still glaring at Ianto, the hate obvious in his eyes. He turned suddenly and walked at a brisk pace until he caught up with his wife where his steps fell in time with hers. He held his arm out and she robotically linked hers with his. It seemed to Ianto like a practised move for public appearances only.

Sam stumbled over to Ianto; he was clearly shaken up from watching his friend getting beaten. He wrapped an arm around Ianto's shoulders to help hold him steady as the colour drained from Ianto's face.

"Yan? Are you okay?" Sam choked.

"Umm." Ianto moaned. His back stung in several places and he was tired; he just wanted to lie down and go to sleep.

"Come on, we'd better get you back to our room before you collapse." Sam started leading Ianto back towards the house. "She's a cruel woman! Who would enjoy watching somebody in pain? It's wrong! I can't believe it Yan..."

"Umm." Ianto said again. He didn't feel like talking.

They struggled up the steps and into the kitchens where most servants had already started working again and some sat around the table staring blankly into space. Probably just as shook up as me, Sam thought and turned his attention back to helping Ianto to bed.

He closed the bedroom door shut behind them and lowered Ianto gently onto the bed. Ianto groaned and slowly leaned back onto his pillows. Sam looked at him with pity; he didn't deserve this, he had done nothing wrong in the 13 years that he had worked here and the one time he finds something that makes him happy, they ruin it. Sam shook his head in an attempt to forget everything and started removing Ianto's shoes so he could sleep comfortably.

"Before I forget Ianto, Jack said to ask you to go to his bedroom as soon as you can." Sam placed the shoes neatly by Ianto's bed.

"I'll go in the morning; right now I just need to sleep." Ianto closed his eyes and quickly drifted off.

Sam sighed. "Goodnight Ianto." He turned the light off and changed into his night clothes. The rest of the servants would have to manage without him for tonight he thought whilst climbing into his bed; it had been a long day and he too could do with a good night's sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

Jack woke up early on Monday morning. He was still wearing his clothes from yesterday and had slept on top of the duvet on his bed. Sitting up, he yawned and stretched his arms above his head. Rays of sun beamed through the window and bathed everything in its gold light. Jack started to grin but then remembered what happened yesterday and his face instantly fell.

Jack groaned and clambered off his bed and headed towards the door so he could go to the bathroom and get washed and ready for the day. As he approached the door he remembered that he had been locked in yesterday and hesitantly reached for the handle; it opened easily. He couldn't recall anybody unlocking it yesterday.

Sighing, Jack closed the door behind him and headed for the bathroom.

********

Ianto's eyes fluttered open. He had slept peacefully last night. He moved to get up and groaned. His body ached all over and he had sharp pains in his back when he moved.

"Ianto! Are you okay? You don't need to move, just stay lying down. Rest." Ianto's groan had woken Sam up and he was instantly at Ianto's side, trying to gently push him back down.

"I'm just sore. I don't want to lie down; I need to go see Jack." Ianto continued to sit up despite Sam's efforts to push him back down.

"Are you sure you're up for it?" Sam gave up and raised an eyebrow at Ianto.

"No, but I have to go. We need to talk and it cannot be put off." Ianto stood up and winced at the pain in his back. Sam watched him carefully in case he suddenly got dizzy. Ianto turned and walked towards their wardrobe to get some clothes for today. He chose a light weight white t-shirt and a loose fitting pair of trousers. He carefully pulled yesterday's t-shirt off and grimaced at the pain.

"Ianto!" Sam gasped and a hand flew to his mouth. "Your back!"

"What is it?" Ianto didn't dare try to see what Sam was gasping at in case he injured himself further.

"It looks awful!" Sam looked away from Ianto's back and sat on the edge of the bed. "Yan, you have big red scars down your back and can't move without being in pain for loving someone. What kind of society is this?" A tear ran solely down Sam's cheek.

"Sam, I know you care and hate seeing this but please don't get hung up on it. Cassandra will help us sort something out and I'll be free from that witch eventually." Ianto sat on the bed next to Sam and wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

"I know but it's not right! I might not be the one getting victimised but it still affects me. What if you get sent to one of those institute's?" Sam wiped the tear away.

"I won't. Mrs. Harkness doesn't even know about me and Jack. She just thinks that I disobeyed her and forgotten my manners." Ianto shrugged Sam's fear off and turned away. He didn't want to worry him by telling him that it was also his biggest fear.

"Okay, you better go and see Jack before it gets too late. I'm going to get ready for work." Sam grabbed his towel and left the room.

Ianto sighed and continued getting dressed.

********

Jack had finished getting ready and had returned to his room. It was only 7:00am and not many people would be up by now but even if they were, Jack had decided that he was going to stay in his bedroom for most of today. He wanted his mother to know that punishing Ianto was also hurting him yet at the same time he didn't want her to know how much he loved the Ianto. Not because of the difference in class but because he was scared of what her reaction would be. Scared of her hurting Ianto again for something he couldn't control.

He sat down on the cream sofa opposite his bed and sighed. Just as he started to relax, a quiet knock at the door startled him. Jack's mind raced. Nobody ever disturbed him this early unless it was really important. His first thoughts were that his mother or father was coming to lock him up again. He stood up hesitantly and walked over to the door. He took hold of the handle and opened the door.

"Ianto!" Jack was about the throw his arms around his love but stopped when he saw Ianto grimace in pain. "Are you okay?" Ianto shook his head. "Come in Yan, we really need to talk."

Ianto nodded and entered the room. Once Jack had closed the door and turned around, Ianto wrapped his arms around his waist and held him tight. He didn't care about the pain as long as he could hold Jack. Jack gently put his arms around Ianto and rested his head on his shoulder.

They stayed like that for a few minutes before Ianto pulled away. He looked up into Jack's eyes and sighed.

"Jack, I can't carry on like this. We need to stop the wedding fast and do something." Ianto got straight to the point.

Jack nodded. "I couldn't agree more. I have a plan to stop the wedding but what do we do after?"

Ianto's face suddenly turned blank; he hadn't thought about that. He'd thought that the only obstacle they had to overcome was the wedding.

"I don't know Jack." Ianto admitted.

"Ianto, you look like you're about to collapse. Why don't you lie down and I'll tell you what me and my auntie Cassandra came up with." Jack guided him towards the bed.

"No Jack!" Ianto pushed away from the bed. "If I get caught lying on your bed again..."

"Okay." Jack nodded and thought for a moment. "I'm not letting you stay standing, where are you willing to sit?"

Ianto glanced around the room. His blue eyes rested on the wicker chair by the window. He had used that chair when he was Jack's personal servant. It was especially for servants.

Jack followed Ianto's eyes and saw what he was looking at. Jack didn't really like the idea of Ianto sitting in the servants chair; he was more to him than a servant but if that was the only place he would feel comfortable, Jack was happy for him to sit there.

"Okay, sit in the wicker chair." Jack left go of Ianto and pulled the wicker chair across the room so it was standing next to the cream sofa. Ianto almost dropped into the chair and groaned with relief. Jack sat down slowly, his eyes never leaving Ianto.

"Okay then Jack, what's your plan?" Ianto asked.

Jack paused for a moment while he gathered his thoughts.

Taking a deep breath, Jack explained his plan in the shortest way possible. "I think we should tell Jessica."

Ianto's eyes widened. "Are you kidding? That would get us into loads of trouble!"

"No, I've been friends with Jessica since I was a little boy. She's not like my mother. I think she would understand and help us." Ianto opened his mouth to protest again but Jack raised his hand to stop him. "I also know that she wants to marry me as much as I want to marry her. Our parents are forcing this marriage and both of us have been looking for a reason to get out of it. She doesn't want to lie to her parents so if I tell her about us, she won't have to lie, we'll have a proper excuse."

Jack fell silent and waited for Ianto to think it through. Ianto stared at Jack. His face was blank and Jack was unable to read his expression.

"Jack, I want to ask you something and I want you to be completely honest." Ianto asked.

"I'll always be honest with you, Yan." Jack's brow furrowed in confusion.

Ianto took a deep breath. "Are you using me as an excuse not to marry Jessica?"

Jack's jaw dropped. "Ianto...I would never...Why would...Who said...What?" Jack stumbled over his words.

"You've just said that Jessica doesn't want to lie to her parents and now that we are together, you have a proper excuse not to get married. Am I just an excuse?" Ianto's face was completely serious.

Jack leaned forward and took Ianto's hand in his own. "Yan, I didn't mean it like that. You are not my excuse to not get married. I've honestly never felt like this for anyone ever before. I know I've told you this but I am going to keep telling you until the day I die, I love you. I hope you believe me when I say that."

"I do believe you Jack, it's just I don't want to go through this storm and find out that there was nothing on the other side." Ianto confessed to Jack.

"There is _everything_ on the other side, Ianto." Jack took Ianto's face in his hands and kissed him like Ianto had in the servant's quarters. This time, neither felt uncomfortable and both Jack and Ianto melted into the kiss.

"Ianto," Jack moved back slightly, "Please sit on the sofa with me."

Ianto was only able to nod and slide off the wicker chair and on to sofa next to Jack. They immediately continued their kiss. Jack's arm gently went around Ianto's shoulders and he carefully pulled him closer.

Jack pulled away slightly again, much to Ianto's annoyance. "This is how it should be all the time, Yan. Just you and me. Only we shouldn't be paranoid about getting caught and you definitely should not be in any pain." He leaned in again and pressed a short kiss to Ianto's lips. "I can't promise you that people will never hurt you again Ianto, but I will promise you that no matter what happens, I will always do my best to make sure you are safe and happy."

Ianto smiled. "Jack, I'm sorry for doubting you and I love you too."

Jack wrapped his other arm around Ianto and held him against his chest. He pressed another kiss to Ianto's head.

"I wish we could just sit here forever." Ianto mumbled against Jack's chest.

"I know." Jack sighed.

A knock at the door interrupted their moment.

Ianto jumped up too quickly and moaned in pain.

"Be careful Ianto," Jack whispered.

"You're telling me to be careful when somebody is at your door and I'm not supposed to be here?" Ianto hissed back. Another knock sounded at the door.

"Right, here's what we're going to do," Jack glanced around the room, searching for an answer. "You're going to hide behind the bed."

Ianto raised his eyebrows. "Are you kidding me?"

"Ianto, unless you can think of a better idea, get behind the bed." Jack pointed over the other side of the room and Ianto mumbled to himself whilst lowering himself carefully behind the bed.

Jack waited by the door until Ianto was completely out of sight. He then grabbed the door handle and opened the door. Jessica Evans stood before him.

"Jack, we seriously need to talk." Jessica looked deadly serious which made Jack panic.

"About what?" Jack tried to act innocent but he immediately started to fidget.

"The wedding. I'm really sorry but I cannot go through with it. We need to come up with a plan and we need to come up with it fast." Jessica paused. "Can I come in?"

A smile spread across Jack's face. "Of course." He stepped aside and let her through. Jessica sat down on the cream sofa. "Jess, I have the perfect plan."

"Okay, what have you got?" Jessica looked up at him expectantly.

Jack walked over the side of the bed where Ianto was lying on the floor trying not to be seen. Jack held a hand out to him but Ianto just raised his eyebrows. Jack merely nodded at him and Ianto reached up and took the hand so Jack could help pull him up.

Jack turned around and smiled at Jessica. "I've got Ianto." He simply stated.

Jessica's jaw dropped, not sure what to make of a servant hiding behind Jack's bed. Realising how stupid she looked sitting there with her mouth hanging open, she quickly composed herself and coughed slightly to clear her throat.

"Jack, I think you and your servant had better sit down and start from the beginning. I think if your plan is going to work then I need to know the whole story." Jessica patted the seats next to her; signalling for them to sit down.

Jack smiled at Ianto and led him to the sofa. They sat on either side of Jessica and Jack launched into the story from the day he got sick.


	9. Chapter 9

Jack told their story to Jessica with a few interruptions from Ianto. Jessica sat silently and listened intently.

"And that's it...I think." Jack finished. Jessica nodded and turned to face Ianto.

"Ianto, do you have anything you would like to add?" Jessica asked. She sounded oddly like a school teacher trying to sort out two kid's problems.

Ianto thought for a moment. "No."

Jessica nodded again and leaned back on the sofa. She looked from Ianto to Jack and back again.

"This punishment that Ianto received, when was it?" Jessica asked. She still lived with her parents and wasn't at the Harkness house at the time of the punishment.

"Yesterday evening. He has had his duties relieved for today so he can recover a bit." Jack looked over at Ianto. He felt completely responsible for Ianto's injuries.

"Why would you risk coming up here to see Jack?" Jessica aimed her question directly at Ianto.

"Because we need to find a way of being together and I love him." Ianto stated simply.

Jessica nodded again. "Okay. Ianto, could I see your back please?" Ianto's brow furrowed in confusion. "I want to know the extent of your punishment; see how against your relationship Mr and Mrs. Harkness are. If you see what I mean."

"I think I understand. You want to see how bad the situation is?" Ianto began to lift his t-shirt up but stopped as the pain became almost unbearable when he lifted his arms up. "I can't. It hurts too much."

Jack jumped off the sofa and lifted the back of Ianto's t-shirt up for him. Jessica looked up at Jack who was studying Ianto's back; the concern was clear in his eyes. She stood up and moved over to Jack so she could see the scars. She inhaled sharply. The slash marks stretched over the top half of Ianto's back and still looked raw and angry. It was obvious that one day would not be enough for Ianto to heal.

Jack and Jessica turned to face each other as Jack gently replaced the t-shirt.

"Jack, this is pretty serious. If we're going to do anything, you and Ianto need to be completely sure about it." Jessica told him.

"Jess, I've already been through this with Cassandra and Ianto. We are both absolutely sure that this is what we want to do." Jack sighed.

Ianto turned around on the sofa so he could see them.

"What are we going to do?" Ianto asked.

Jessica thought for a moment. A smile slowly spread across her face.

"What are you thinking?" Jack asked.

"I'm thinking that you and I could stage a huge argument in front of everybody and just refuse to marry each other. I know it's already arranged and we've tried getting out of it by telling them that we don't love each other but they knew we were friends. If they believe that we hate each other, they wouldn't make us marry each other because of all the problems it would cause." Jessica explained.

A smile which mirrored Jessica's appeared on Jack's face. Ianto just watched them; his pain stopped him from getting excited about their idea.

"We still don't know what to do after your wedding's cancelled." Ianto piped up.

"After the wedding's cancelled there's nothing much you can do but tell Jack's parents about it. Or Jack can move away and you could quit working for the Harkness' and secretly move with him." She suggested.

Ianto considered it. "I don't really want to live my life in secret but we could do that until we think of a better plan."

"Until then, I think Ianto should lie low." Jessica picked her bag up from where she had put it down earlier.

"Yeah, you should go back to your room and start resting before my mother catches you." Jack placed a hand on Ianto's shoulder gently. Ianto nodded.

"I've got to go too Jack. I wanted to get back to my house before anybody notices that I'm gone." A mischievous grin spread across Jessica's face. She loved sneaking out of the house; it made her feel like she had some control over her life instead of her parents ruling everything.

"Okay," Jack laughed. "I'll see you soon and we'll stage our break-up." He leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks for everything Jess, it really means a lot to me."

"Anytime Jack. Ianto, I hope you get better soon. See you later." She headed towards the door, turning back just before she left, she looked at Ianto; her eyes were full of pity. Ianto looked away, he almost felt ashamed that he was in such a state but it was instantly washed away when he remembered that he had done nothing wrong. It was just Jack's narrow minded mother who couldn't handle anything not going how she planned. Jessica left the room and quietly closed the door behind her.

Jack and Ianto stood in silence for a moment after. Both men were thinking about all the possible ways their plan could go wrong.

"You better go and get some rest then Yan." Jack took Ianto's hand in his and led him to the door. Opening it, he checked the corridor before he headed for the stairs, pulling Ianto behind him.

"Jack! What if anybody sees?" Ianto tried to pull his hand out of Jack's grip but failed miserably.

"They won't, it's only 8:00am. My parents never get out of bed until 8:30am on a Monday, they hate Mondays so the longer they stay in bed, the less Monday they have left. It sounds weird but my parents are weird." Jack giggled quietly to himself.

"Okay but where are we going?" Ianto was now walking in time with Jack.

"I'm walking you back to your room, Master Jones." Jack explained and checked over the banister to make sure nobody was there.

Ianto grinned. It was another thing to add to the ever growing list of times that Jack had made him feel like an equal.

Once Jack was certain that nobody was awake and wandering the house, he walked hand-in-hand with Ianto at a slower, more relaxed pace. They walked in a comfortable silence; just enjoying each other's company. After a few minutes, they reached Ianto's bedroom door.

"Well, here we are." Jack turned to face Ianto. He grinned, they finally had a plan that had a chance of working; it felt like a rock had been lifted off his chest and he didn't have to worry for a bit. He leaned in and gave Ianto a kiss that made Ianto lose all trains of thought. Jack pulled back after a moment and smiled sweetly at Ianto. He opened the door to Ianto's room and gestured for Ianto to go in. "Goodnight Ianto, or should I say good morning?"

"Good morning seems to fit best here Jack." Ianto returned the smile and went into him room. "Good morning Jack, enjoy your day."

"I don't think that's possible." Jack replied seriously.

Ianto stood, confused by Jack's reply. "Why?"

"I don't get to spend it with you." Jack broke into another smile.

Ianto smiled proudly. He still couldn't believe that Jack actually wanted him. Ianto Jones, servant boy.

"Now go to bed Ianto! You need to rest." Jack said.

Ianto leaned over and gave Jack one last kiss. "See you later." He closed the door behind him and smiled to himself.

Jack stood with his nose almost touching the wooden door to Ianto's bedroom. He wasn't ready to go back to his room just yet so he wandered back into the kitchen area; it was as close as he could get to Ianto without disturbing his rest. He sat at the table for a few minutes. No servants were ready yet but Jack thought it best if he headed back to his room now and stay there for the rest of the day to avoid questions and suspicions.


	10. Chapter 10

Tuesday

Ianto woke up at 6:00am as the head servant, Mary, banged on everybody's door's to make sure they were getting ready for the day's work.

"Sam, time to get up." Ianto sat up and turned to his friend's bed to ensure he had heard him. "Sam?" He asked when he saw that the bed next to his was already made and his friend was nowhere to be seen.

"Right here buddy." Sam stood at the door, towel drying his hair. "I got up early again and had a long shower." He grinned and closed the door behind him. However, the grin did not last as Ianto winced at the pain that was still in his back. "Yan, do you think you're to work today? I mean, one day isn't going to make _that_ much of a difference."

"I can't ask for another day off. I don't feel any better than yesterday but I'm probably not going to feel much better tomorrow either. I just need time." Ianto sighed. "I don't need a shower, I had one last night."

"Yan, you were asleep when I finished my duties." Sam raised his eyebrows.

"No, I woke up around midnight and had a shower then." Ianto walked delicately across the room and changed into his work clothes.

Sam watched as Ianto brushed his teeth at the small sink in the corner of the room.

"Are you going to see Jack today?" Sam asked casually.

Ianto spat the toothpaste into the sink and rinsed his mouth out before answering.

"I don't know." Ianto replied honestly. "If I get any jobs that require going into his room I'll probably talk to him for a couple of minutes but I don't really think I should risk anything on my first day back at work after..." He trailed off.

"Good idea." Sam agreed. He quickly got dressed and brushed his teeth whilst Ianto sat at the bottom of his bed, staring into space. Once he had finished, he sat down next to Ianto on the bed. "You ready to start the day?"

"Yeah, I suppose so." Ianto looked at him. "I've got no choice."

Sam forced a smile at his best friend. "Come on then. It is pointless putting it off, it'll probably be over before you know it."

Ianto nodded and stood up, he waited for Sam and they left their room together.

"I've already had breakfast but I'll have another cup of tea and sit with you if you want." Sam suggested. He didn't want to leave Ianto alone in the kitchens for fear of other servants harassing him about what happened the other day.

"No, I'm not really very hungry. Besides, I'd rather just get on with my duties; the busier I am, the quicker the time will pass."

"Sure." Sam said and followed Ianto out of the sleeping quarters and into the kitchen where the rest of the servants were getting ready to report for duty.

Mary spotted the two men and quickly finished the conversation she was having and walked over to them.

"Sam, you're cleaning the spare rooms on floor two today." She instructed.

"Alright Mary. I'll see you later Ianto." Sam waved his goodbyes and left to get on with his duties.

"Ianto honey, how are you feeling?" Mary asked sympathetically.

"I'm good." Ianto lied. He didn't want anybodies sympathy or people asking questions.

"If you need any help just let me know and I'll get somebody else to do your jobs." Mary told him.

"It's okay. I can manage. What am I doing today anyway?" Ianto smiled at her reassuringly.

"I've got you down as taking breakfast up to everybody on floor two. Sam's up on that floor so if you change your mind and do need some help, just ask him. Okay?" Mary checked her clipboard to check that she had everything correct.

"I don't think I'll need any help." Ianto smiled. This time the smile was genuine. Jack was the only person who slept on the second floor; all the other rooms were spare. Did Mary know that and deliberately put his name down for those jobs? He couldn't care less if she had, all he could think of was seeing Jack again.

"The breakfast will be ready in about 10 minutes. Sophie's cooking today." Mary added the last part so Ianto would know who to get the breakfast off. "Report to Sam when you're finished and help him clean the rooms. After that, neither of you have any more jobs today so you can have whatever is left off."

"Great." Ianto replied and wandered away from her to find Sophie and collect Jack's breakfast.

********

Ianto walked up the stairs, he couldn't wait to see Jack but was afraid to walk any faster in case he spilled the breakfast; that would delay him even more if he had to go back to the kitchen and get more food. Not to mention the fact that he would have to explain why he had dropped Jack's breakfast.

He finally reached the top of the stairs. He took a deep breath and walked steadily towards Jack's bedroom. The door was closed and he could hear no signs of movement inside. That was probably a good thing because it meant that nobody else was in there with him. However, it could mean that Jack was in the shower room and Ianto would not be able to see him. He hoped it was the first reason.

Although he had showed no signs of pain to any of the other servants except Sam; Ianto was feeling just as bad as yesterday. The pain in his back was excruciating and almost unbearable; every time he moved or breathed he felt a sharp stab in the middle of his back. It was also itchy but Ianto took that as a sign of the wounds healing.

Taking a deep, painful breath, Ianto balanced the breakfast tray on one arm and knocked on Jack's door three times.

Ianto heard shuffling and mumbling on the other side of the door as Jack got up to answer it.

As the door opened, Ianto smiled as Jack stood open mouthed.

"What are you doing here Ianto?" Jack asked, still shocked to see him.

Ianto held up the tray in his hands to signal to Jack that he was bringing him his breakfast.

"Oh right. I'd forgotten all about breakfast." Jack scratched his head. "Do you want to come in?"

"Yeah." Ianto nodded and Jack stepped aside to let him past. Closing the door behind him, Jack watched Ianto as he placed the tray gently on the bedside cabinet.

"How are you feeling Ianto?" Jack asked.

"I'm fine." Ianto lied again. He didn't want to lie to Jack but knew that he would feel guilty if Ianto was in pain. Jack moved over to Ianto and wrapped his arms around him. He pulled the servant into powerful embrace but immediately left go when Ianto whimpered.

"Ianto? What's wrong?" Jack pulled back so he could examine Ianto better.

"I'm not fine Jack. It hurts." Ianto admitted.

"Right. I want you to lie down on my bed and relax." Jack instructed.

"I have to work Jack," Ianto objected.

"Ianto, you're in pain because of me!" Jack shouted. "You are going to lie down and rest for a bit."

"Fine just keep your voice down. I don't want to bring any attention to this room. If I get caught not working, I'm going to be so dead." Ianto mumbled as he slowly lay down on Jack's bed.

Sighing, he relaxed a bit.

"Ianto, can you turn over so I can have a look at how your wounds are healing?" Jack asked gently.

"Mm-hmm." Ianto replied and slowly started to roll over. Lying down now made him realise just how much pain he was actually in. He didn't want to get back up now; he just wanted to stay here until he was ready to sneak off with Jack. Ianto was still trying to roll over so Jack could see his back when he felt a strong pair of hands grip his waist. Jack's hands gently but firmly turned Ianto over and lifted up his shirt to inspect the servants back.

Nothing moved for almost a minute as Jack just looked at the man before him. He sighed, desperately trying to hold back the tears. He had told Sam that they needed to stay strong for Ianto and having a breakdown in front of him would not constitute as staying strong.

Taking a deep breath, he composed himself and silently thanked that Ianto couldn't see him.

"Right then Ianto; I'm going to get a first aid kit from the bathroom and I'll clean the wounds and bandage them up. That way, even if you're being stubborn and not resting, they should still heal nice and not bother you while you do your duties. Okay?" Jack explained and replaced the t-shirt over Ianto's back.

"That sounds alright." Ianto mumbled into Jack's pillow.

"I'll be back in a minute. Do not move." Jack said sternly and pointed his finger at Ianto even though he couldn't see it.

"Okay." Ianto laughed. Jack had just opened the door when Ianto said his name. "Jack?"

Turned around, he looked at Ianto. The servant had still not moved. "Yes?"

"Thank you." Ianto said simply.

"I'd do anything for you Ianto. Remember that." Jack told him and left the room before Ianto made him cry again.

Jack returned a minute later with a bowl of warm water and anti-septic and bandages. He found that Ianto had done as he'd asked and hadn't moved a muscle.

"I'm back." Jack announced. Jack helped Ianto take off his t-shirt so he had easier access to Ianto's back. He then proceeded to clean Ianto's wounds with the warm water and anti-septic. They both stayed silent as both men didn't know what to say to the other. Jack had finished washing over Ianto's back once but he wanted to make sure it was completely clean before he put the bandages on so he was just starting to wash it again from the top when he heard a sharp knock at the door.

Ianto felt Jack freeze.

"That'll be Sam." Ianto reassure Jack. As he relaxed into washing Ianto's wounds again, Jack called to the person knocking at his door.

"Come in!" He shouted. Jack leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss to the back of Ianto's neck.

"His duties are to clean all the spare rooms on this floor." Ianto explained as he heard the door open and click close again.

Ianto felt Jack freeze again.

"What's wrong?" Ianto asked.

"Yan, you just said 'spare rooms'." Jack stated.

"Yes Jack." Ianto replied rolling his eyes. Jack was starting to get way too paranoid now.

"Ianto, this is not a 'spare room'." Jack whispered.

A barely audible "Oh" escaped Ianto's mouth as it dawned on him that it couldn't be Sam.

"I believe Ianto was instructed to take Jack his breakfast and help Sam with cleaning the spare rooms." A voice came from the door.

It was Ianto's turn to freeze. Slowly, Jack and Ianto turned around to confirm who was standing at the door. They already knew who it was but were unable to believe that it was true.

"Mother! What are you doing up here?" Jack jumped off the bed and away from Ianto.

"I think the correct question Jack, is what are you and your servant doing?" Linda asked. Her face was solemn and deadly serious.

"I was helping Ianto clean his wounds." Jack explained. Ianto had put his t-shirt back on and was standing beside the bed. He didn't dare speak this time because he knew it would be a wasted effort. The seven lashes he had received would be a walk in the park compared to what Mrs Harkness would do to them now.

"I do not care about what you were doing Jack. This has gone too far." Linda's voice started to grow louder so she didn't notice Cassandra walk in the room behind her. "Ianto Jones, you no longer work for the Harkness household. I want you out of my house by 7 o clock tonight."

"Mother you can't fire him! I told him to lie down so I could clean his wounds because it is my fault he has them in the first place so if you punish or fire him you need to punish me too!" Jack argued.

"Do not be so quick to think that I am only punishing Mr. Jones." Linda glared at her son.

"What? You're actually going to punish you 'precious son'?" Jack was genuinely shocked; he had expected his mother to give in to him and not punish Ianto. Instead she was firing Ianto and punishing Jack.

"Yes." Linda simply stated. Cassandra was standing silently at the door; waiting to see where this was going to lead.

"How many lashes am I getting? Seven for being friends with my servant and another ten for falling in love with him? You are being pathetic mother!" Jack spat his words out.

"Do you honestly think you are in love with him? With a servant, Jack? You have some nerve calling me pathetic when you are the one who loves a servant." Linda looked disgustedly at Jack.

Jack groaned in frustration. "You don't get it mother! It's not about the type of person you fall in love with; it's about celebrating that you have found true love no matter who it is with! Why can't you accept that?" Jack almost whispered the last part.

"It is not natural Jack. Society looks upon it as wrong and so do I. I do not want to be seen as having a...gay...son." Linda could barely say the word.

A minute of silence passed before Jack spoke again.

"So what are you going to do to me?" Jack asked.

"I am sending you to the Cardiff Institute. You will see what a huge mistake you are making and only then am I willing to accept you back into the family." Linda said calmly.

Cassandra shook her head in disgust. How could her sister be so heartless? She noticed for the first time that Ianto was watching her; signalling with her hands for the servant to meet her in his servants quarters as soon as he was able to leave this room. When she was sure that he had understood, she turned and headed off in the direction of the servant's quarters.

"I hope you're prepared to never accept me back because this is not a phase or something petty that you can deter me from. It's permanent. It's me. You should be willing to accept that; not kick me out of the family." Jack's breathing became deeper as he tried to control his emotions.

Linda did not reply to Jack's statement, instead she turned to face Ianto who was still standing quietly by the bed.

"Mr. Jones, you will return now to the servant's quarters and prepare to leave by 7 o clock tonight. I do not care where you go or what you do as long as you stay away from here and leave my son alone. I do not wish to see your face ever again." Linda explained.

Ianto merely nodded. He walked briskly past Linda and only turned back once he had reached the door. He couldn't look Jack in the eye knowing that Jack had, by far, the worst punishment out of the pair of them. He felt heartily sorry for him also knowing that Jack had to come back to this awful place; Ianto was free of her forever. He sighed, left the room and almost ran for the servants quarters so he could speak to Cassandra.

Linda also turned to leave the room. She, too, stopped at the door however, she did not turn to face Jack and spoke over her shoulder instead.

"Jack, have a bag packed by tomorrow morning. We leave for the Cardiff Institute at 9am. Be ready." With that she left the room and locked the door behind her.

Jack broke down almost as soon as she left and collapsed on his bed. The same thought kept going through his head. This couldn't be happening. All the progress he had made with Ianto all led to Ianto losing his job, his home and his friends and Jack in an Institute with the threat of being kicked out of his family if he didn't stop being Jack.

It was wrong.

10


	11. Chapter 11

Ianto practically ran through the kitchens to servant's quarters. He was so desperate to meet with Cassandra that he didn't even stop when Sam tried to ask him what was wrong.

As he ran into his room he slammed the door closed behind him and saw Cassandra sitting on the stool in the corner of the room.

"Calm down Ianto." Cassandra held up her hand to calm Ianto.

"I can't! I have no home, no family and Jack's getting sent to the Cardiff Institute! My life couldn't get any worse." Ianto trailed off and bit his bottom lip to stop himself from crying.

"You do have a home, you do have a family but I'm afraid you're right about the Institute and I'm going to make your life a bit more bearable." Cassandra stood up and walked over to Ianto and Sam's wardrobe. "Which side is yours?"

"The left. What do you mean I have a home and a family? You head Mrs Harkness, I am to leave this house by 7 o clock tonight and she never wants to see me again." Ianto followed her to the wardrobe.

"You've been fired, right?" Cassandra turned around to face Ianto with her hands on her hips.

"Right." Ianto confirmed.

"Well I'm hiring you." Cassandra turned back to the wardrobe and started pulling Ianto's clothes off their hangers.

"What?" Ianto stood with his mouth agape.

"Ianto honey, close your mouth. I'm sending you to my house where you'll work as my servant and do not have to hide who you are." Cassandra smiled at Ianto's look of shock and placed the handful of clothes she had on the bed.

"What's the point in being myself if I can't be myself with Jack?" Ianto raised his eyebrows after he had gotten over the shock.

"I don't really think Linda will actually send Jack to the Institute. He always has been and always will be her precious son. She has only ever hurt him indirectly." Ianto looked confused. "Hurt those around him so he gets hurt too."

"I get it. So she's firing me and making me homeless because she knows he will be hurt by it?" Ianto asked.

"Yes and when he comes out of the Institute I'll let him know where you are and we'll come up with a story for him to move into my house so he can be with you." Cassandra explained her plan.

"That's sounds perfect but how do I get to your house? I don't even know where it is." Ianto admitted.

"I'll pay for a taxi and tell the driver the address and you will be taken there." Cassandra took the last of Ianto's clothes from the wardrobe and placed them on the bed. "Do you have a suitcase?"

"Yeah it's under the bed." Ianto gestured to the bed and crawled underneath to retrieve the almost forgotten suitcase. "What time will I be leaving?"

"I think the sooner the better. If you leave as soon as possible, people won't have time to ask questions. There's a greater chance that our plan will work." Cassandra began shoving the clothes into the suitcase as she spoke.

"I'm just going to say goodbye to Sam." Ianto was on his way out of the room when Cassandra called him back.

"Ianto honey, are you going to tell Sam the plan?" She asked.

Ianto thought for a moment and shook his head. "I know I can trust him but I don't want to leave him with the burden of covering up for us. It's not fair on him."

"Okay, don't be too long. I'll phone for a taxi now." Cassandra said as she finished zipping up the suitcase. She picked the phone up off the dressing table and dialled the number for the taxi service.

Ianto walked up the corridor of the servant's quarters and into the kitchen. He could see Sam sitting at the table in the middle of the room; he was eating his lunch.

"Sam, I need to talk to you." Ianto stated as he reached the table. Sam was about to complain about his food going cold but stopped when he seen the look on Ianto's face. It was solemn.

"Sure." Sam gestured for Ianto to sit in the empty chair beside him.

"Can we go somewhere more private?" Ianto looked around the kitchen at all the servant's going about their daily duties. Nobody looked like they were listening in but Ianto knew from years of experience that there was never nobody listening in the kitchen.

"Yeah, is our bedroom okay?" Sam asked and stood up to go to the bedroom.

"No." Ianto liked Cassandra but didn't want her seeing him saying goodbye to his closest friend. "The bathroom will be best." Ianto walked in the direction of the bathroom with Sam following close behind.

When the door was closed and locked behind them, Ianto turned to face Sam.

"What is it Ianto?" Sam was started to worry about his friend.

"Jack and I were caught again today. He was cleaning the wounds on my back whilst I was lying topless on his bed and Mrs. Harkness walked in. She's fired me and is sending Jack to the Cardiff Institute." Ianto said emotionlessly.

Sam closed his eyes and leaned against the wall behind him. He didn't think that Jack and Ianto would be caught again so soon.

"Yan..." He mumbled.

"I have to leave this house by 7 o clock tonight and she never wants to see me again but I'm leaving as soon as possible and I won't see you ever again." Ianto started to cry as he realised that he would be losing much more than his job and home.

Sam opened his eyes and looked at Ianto. The tears were flowing down Sam's cheeks as he looked at his friend for what would be the last time.

"Where will you go?" Sam managed to choke out.

"I can't tell you. It's going to be all right." Ianto sobbed. "I'm sorry Sam."

"What for?" Sam asked.

"For upsetting you." Ianto replied and wiped the tears from his cheeks. "And leaving you."

"Don't be sorry. You've been my best friend since I was five and you'll always be the best friend I've ever had." Sam wrapped his arms around Ianto and the stood and held each other in silence for a few minutes.

Ianto pulled away and chuckled slightly. "I have to go Sam. I can't stay here any longer. I'm going to miss you."

Sam merely nodded; any attempt at speaking was going to come out as a strangled sob.

Ianto unlocked the bathroom door and started to leave. He paused as before he left and turned back to Sam. Leaning forward, he wrapped his arms around his friend and hugged him once more. This time as he pulled away, he pressed a kiss to Sam's cheek. Ianto looked into Sam's eyes for the last time and left the bathroom and headed straight into his bedroom where Cassandra would be waiting.

Sam looked at the open door where Ianto had been standing. He slowly pushed it closed at re-locked it. He all but collapsed onto the floor and leaned his forehead against the back of the wooden door and sobbed. He couldn't think straight knowing that he would never see Ianto again. Neither man had any proper family left and they had become as close as brother's over the years and now it was like losing their family all over again.

Cassandra didn't say anything as Ianto entered the room; she just took him into her arms and soothed the broken man. When Ianto had almost stopped crying she pulled away.

"Ianto, the taxi will be here any minute now. I've wrote down the address here." She handed Ianto a piece of folded up paper with a sum of money. "There's also the money for the taxi. It won't cost any more than that."

"Thank you." Ianto whispered. His throat was hoarse from crying.

"Honey, I've already rang my house and my servants and daughters know that you'll be working there but you have my word that nobody will force you into any kind of work until you feel up to it. Have you got that?" Cassandra asked. Ianto nodded. "You better wait outside for the taxi." She led Ianto out of the servant's quarters, through the kitchen and to the front doors of the house. She ushered the former Harkness servant out of the door and down the steps where the taxi was already waiting.

"Ianto, it's going to be alright." She reassured him and pulled him in for a hug. "See you soon, yeah?"

"Yeah." Ianto forced a smile and climbed into the back of the car and gave the driver the address. He waved weakly at Cassandra as the car pulled away.

Ianto sighed, the tears had finally stopped and he looked back at the house that had been his home for so many years. As he looked up at the house the tears started falling again as he saw Jack at the bedroom window on the second floor. Ianto wanted so badly to be up there with him instead of driving away from him.

"Goodbye Jack." He whispered at they turned a corner and he could no longer see the house or Jack.


	12. Chapter 12

A knock at the door woke Jack up abruptly. He couldn't remember falling asleep but he did remember that he had sat by his window until the early hours of the morning hoping that the taxi would reappear at the top of the garden and bring Ianto home. However he waited in vain and Ianto did not come home last night and Jack knew but did not want to accept that Ianto would never be stepping foot in this house again.

He sighed as he remembered the sight of Ianto leaving. It was all he could see every time he closed his eyes.

Another knock at the door brought him back to reality and he moved to answer it. He pulled the door open eagerly, hoping that Cassandra was there.

"Good morning Jack. I hope you had a long hard think about what you did." Linda said as Jack opened the door to her.

"No, I didn't." Jack spat at her.

"Well do not worry. You will have enough time to think about what you did during your stay at the Cardiff Institute." Linda walked past Jack and into the bedroom. She went over to the wardrobe and got Jack's suitcase from inside.

"How long do you plan to leave me in that prison?" Jack asked.

"As long as it takes for you to get better Jack." Linda replied and started filling the suitcase with essentials like toiletries and clothes.

"For me to get better?" Jack repeated.

"Yes." Linda confirmed and continued packing the suitcase.

"I'm not ill Mother!" Jack cried and threw his arms up dramatically.

"You are not in the right frame of mind Jack." Linda replied calmly.

"Well what, in your opinion, is the right frame of mind?" Jack asked sarcastically.

"Not in my opinion Jack, it is correct. The right frame of mind is definitely _not_ being attracted to your servant." Linda stressed.

"And it has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that my servant was a man?" Jack challenged.

Throwing the last item of clothing into the suitcase, Linda spun around and stormed over to where Jack was still standing by the door.

"It has _everything_ to do with the fact that your servant was a man." Linda almost screamed in Jack's face. "You know what Jack?" She paused and Jack raised an eyebrow for her to continue. "Your father and I worked so hard to keep our family name respectable and you come along and ruin it just like that!"

Jack nodded, he finally understood. "So, you wish I'd never been born?"

"Sometimes, yes." Linda admitted.

"Well why don't you just let me leave?" Jack asked.

"Everybody knows that there is a Harkness son. If you suddenly disappear without an explanation, people will talk" Linda answered as if Jack was the thickest person on Earth.

A knock at the door interrupted their argument and the door opened.

"Hi. I was just wondering if you were doing anything today Jack." Cassandra stood in the doorway.

"He is busy today Cassandra." Linda answered without looking away from Jack.

"Oh, what are you doing?" Cassandra also remained unmoving. She knew what Jack was doing but was secretly hoping that Linda had changed her mind.

"Mother is sending me to the Cardiff Institute." Jack stared at Linda. It looked like they were challenging each other.

"Oh." Cassandra's heart sunk.

"Yes and if you do not mind Cassandra, Jack must finish getting ready. We are leaving in half an hour." Linda turned away from Jack and looked sternly at Cassandra. It was obvious that Linda was telling Cassandra to stop asking questions and get out of the way.

"Okay. I'll come and visit you Jack." Cassandra tried to reassure Jack before she left the room.

"Thank you." Jack whispered. He was close to breaking down. Cassandra nodded. She couldn't interfere now as it might ruin her plan but she felt heartily sorry for Jack and what his own mother was putting him through.

Linda watched as Cassandra left the room and when the door clicked closed behind her, she walked over and stood; still facing the door.

"Get dressed Jack. I will send somebody up to collect your suitcase in thirty minutes. I expect you to be fully ready to leave by then." Without turning back, Linda left the room and left Jack to ready himself for his unavoidable fate.

********

Sam had been ordered to collect Jack's suitcase and take it to the door where a car will be waiting to take Jack to the Cardiff Institute. Linda and Paul Harkness would be accompanying him but they were only doing this so they were sure that he had been checked in.

Knocking on the door, Sam waited patiently for Jack to answer. He really didn't want to face Jack after what happened with Ianto but he didn't want to get into any trouble.

When Jack opened the door, Sam tried to force a smile but was unable to as he saw that Jack's eyes were red and puffy.

"Hi Sam." He croaked.

"Jack, I've been ordered to collect your suitcase." Sam said. He really didn't want to get into a conversation with Jack right now. He didn't know what to say.

"It's over there." Jack pointed at where the suitcase stood by the bed.

"Thanks." Sam walked over to it briskly and picked it up. He was just about to leave without saying another word when he was overcome with a guilty feeling. It was as if he had actually done anything but Jack hadn't done anything either and Sam was snubbing him.

Sam placed the suitcase down gently and turned around to face Jack.

"I'm so sorry." He said and wrapped his arms around Jack in a comforting hug.

Jack started crying once again.

"I didn't even get to say goodbye." Jack cried into Sam's neck.

"I did." Sam whispered. Jack pulled away to look at Sam. "It was awful. I never want to have to go through something like that again. I couldn't stay strong for him Jack."

"It's okay Sam. I've not been able to stay strong either." Jack tried to reassure the servant.

"Jack, he said that he was sorry for upsetting and leaving me." Sam told Jack. "He had nothing to be sorry for and your mother is making him take the blame for what she has done. He doesn't have a choice. It's Mrs. Harkness that has upset me, not Ianto."

"I know. I can't believe she has actually done something like this. It's sick." Jack agreed. "You better go and take my suitcase downstairs otherwise you'll get into trouble. I couldn't cope with knowing that I got Ianto _and_ you fired."

"Okay." Sam nodded and wiped away the few tears that had rolled down his cheeks. He was almost out of the room when he turned back to say one last thing. "It's not your fault either Jack."

Jack merely nodded. He didn't want to tell Sam that it was more his fault than Ianto's.

Sam closed the door as he left and walked solemnly down the stairs and out of the house to where Linda and Paul Harkness were waiting by the car.

"Is he ready?" Linda asked when she saw Sam.

"Just about, Mrs. Harkness." Sam answered. He had to fight to keep the bitterness out of his voice.

"Good." Linda said.

Sam put Jack's suitcase in the boot of the car and went to stand quietly by Cassandra who was trying to get his attention without Linda or Paul noticing.

"Sam, how are you coping?" She whispered when he was standing next to her. The way his body was positioned meant the Linda and Paul could not see her so they wouldn't know she was talking to him and therefore wouldn't get suspicious.

"Not too good. I had a talk with Jack before and I cracked a bit." Sam admitted. He felt safe when he was talking to Cassandra; he could tell her the truth.

"Do you know where Ianto is?" Cassandra asked. She didn't know how much Ianto had told him.

"On a street corner somewhere?" Sam guessed.

"No, I've sent him to my house to work as my servant. He can have as much time off as he needs and Linda and Paul don't need to know that he's there so he's safe." Cassandra explained.

"Oh. That's good." Sam responded. He was happy that Ianto was safe but that still didn't fix the problem that they would never see each other again.

"How would you like to work for me too?" Cassandra asked. She watched Sam's face for his reaction. At first his eye brows furrowed in confusion; he hadn't expected that question. Once the realisation of the offer dawned on him, his eyes lit up and a smile spread across his face.

"Stop smiling Sam. You'll make them suspicious." Cassandra laughed quietly.

"Sorry. Do you really want me to work for you?" Sam couldn't believe it. He would finally be away from Mrs. Harkness and with his best friend.

"Of course I do. I know how much you mean to Ianto and you're a nice person Sam. Here's the money for a taxi to my house and my address. I've still got stuff to do here but if you Linda and Paul that you are resigning today, you must work a week's notice so you can leave for my house next Wednesday. Don't tell anybody where you are going because they might make the connection and know that Ianto is also staying there and trust me, we do not need any more problems, okay?" Cassandra explained.

"Okay." Sam took the money and address and slipped it into his pocket. He looked back to Cassandra. "What other stuff do you have to do?" He asked.

"That would be telling." Cassandra smiled.

"Thank you." Sam smiled at her. Cassandra nodded her head in the same way that Jack did when he had nothing else to say.

Linda Harkness approached Cassandra and Sam and stood in front of them.

"Sam, you may go back to the servant's quarters and report to Mary. She will have jobs for you." She instructed.

"Mrs. Harkness, I would like to give you my notice. I am resigning today." Sam quickly plucked up the courage to resign.

"You are resigning?" Linda was clearly shocked by this out-of-the-blue statement.

"Yes. I understand that I must work a week's notice and I will work my notice until next Wednesday and I will be leaving that evening." Sam informed her.

"Okay. Report to me before you leave on Wednesday so I can give you your last pay." Linda nodded and walked back to Paul to tell him about Sam's resignation.

"Could you book a taxi for me for Wednesday evening?" Sam asked Cassandra.

"Yes, I'll book it for 7 o clock." Cassandra answered.

"Thank you." Sam thanked her once again and went back inside to do the rest of his jobs.

About a minute after Sam had disappeared into the house, Jack came through the door and walked briskly down the steps. He decided before he left his bedroom that he wasn't going to bother hiding his tears. It would just make this all the more difficult for himself if he had to stop himself from crying. He was also hoping that it would hurt his mother if she could see how much she was hurting her son.

Cassandra watched a Jack reached the car and climbed in, the tears were freely falling down his cheeks as he looked up at his auntie. The intensity of his gaze was unbearable for Cassandra and she had to look away. However, she found that she could not take her eyes away from Jack for long and she looked back at him as he sat waiting in the car. She mouthed goodbye and he just blinked in reply.

"Cassandra dear, we will be back in about an hour. When we get back we will have to ring all the guests for the wedding and tell them that it will be delayed due to current family circumstances." Linda told her and climbed elegantly into the car. Paul got in beside her and closed the door.

The driver turned around to check that everybody was ready to go and he drove away from the house and in the direction of the Cardiff Institute.


	13. Chapter 13

Linda and Paul Harkness entered the Cardiff Institute with their son trailing behind them with his head down. He didn't want to take in the Institute as he didn't want to remember it when he left.

They approached the reception desk but Jack stopped about a meter away. He knew he was being silly but he couldn't stop his imagination running away when he thought about what type of staff they had here. They probably wouldn't be like any of the servants he was used to. Whenever he thought about it, he could only imagine monstrous beasts that looked like normal humans but were, in reality, similar to Adolf Hitler. They wanted the whole human race to be the same. The "perfect" race. Anybody who wasn't heterosexual, like themselves, must be converted or wiped from existence. The thought of facing them was almost unbearable.

"Hello, my name is Mrs. Linda Harkness. I would like to check my son in." Linda smiled politely at the receptionist.

The woman returned the smile. "What's your son's name?"

"Jack Harkness." Linda turned around slightly and beckoned Jack over. "Come on Jack, they are not going to bite."

Jack felt like a scared child again as he approached the desk. The woman started to smile but her attempt faltered as she looked at Jack.

The Cardiff Institute was supposed to be for people who had certain feelings towards the same sex but didn't want them; it was not intended to change a person into who their parents wanted them to be. However, people like Jack Harkness, who was still only 18, was classed as a minor and his legal guardians had the control of what clinics he was admitted to. This would be the case until his 21st birthday.

"Master Harkness, are you fully informed about the treatments that this Institute offers to its patients?" The receptionist asked. He nodded in reply. "Okay then, Mr. and Mrs. Harkness, could you please sign on the dotted line here." She woman pointed with her finger whilst Linda and Paul hurriedly signed the document. "Thank you. Jack can be discharged from the Institute at any time by a member of family but not by himself. Payment is collected at the end of the treatment." She informed them. "Visiting hours are between 5pm and 7pm. Only family members are allowed to visit but not outside of those times. Mr. and Mrs. Harkness, would you say goodbye to Jack and then we can start the treatment immediately."

Linda smiled widely. Her son was going to be cured and their family was still going to keep their good name.

"Goodbye Jack. The quicker you cooperate with the doctors, the quicker you can come home and marry Jessica." Linda reached up and tried to press a kiss to Jack's cheek.

Jack jerked away from his mother's touch and glared at her. Linda smiled at him, patted his shoulder and walked away mumbling about how it doesn't really matter. Paul didn't even look at his son as he turned and followed his wife out of the door to the Cardiff Institute. It was clear to Jack that by turning his back on him then meant that he would be turning his back on his son forever.

Surprisingly, Jack didn't feel any pain at the cruel gesture from his father. Jack had suspected that Paul had thought of him as a disappointment and he had learned to live with it and had distanced himself from his father. However, he had found it hard to believe that Cassandra was Paul's sister. The siblings had completely different personalities. Paul kept himself to himself whereas Cassandra preferred to share things with the people around her. Also Paul wasn't accepting of most things and Cassandra was happy if you were.

"Jack, if you would like to follow me; I'll show you where you will be staying." The receptionist walked to the side of the desk where Jack was and gestured for him to follow her. "Obviously we do have some rules but nothing too unreasonable. You are not permitted to talk or interact with any other patients here. You will do as the doctor's order and not complain. If you fail to meet these expectations, you will be punished."

"Yes." Jack mumbled. She sounded as if she was reciting the rules from a textbook.

He looked around the Institute as they walked to his room. All the walls were plain white and there was nothing to decorate them. There was also nothing placed up the corridor like benches or plants; just doors. Each door had a small black number, a handle and a keyhole. They stopped at number 32 and the woman produced a small silver key. She placed the key in the lock and turned it once to the left; Jack heard the click of the door unlocked. She pulled the handle down and pushed the door open. She gestured for Jack to enter the room; he dragged his suitcase behind him as he squeezed past her into his new bedroom.

"You will have half an hour to settle in and unpack. A nurse will come and take you to the doctor when they are ready for you." The receptionist informed him. She stepped back and closed the door. Once again, Jack heard the click of the door being locked.

Jack placed the suitcase gently on the bed and sat beside it. He looked around the room. It was the smallest room he had ever been in. His bathroom at home was bigger than this, he thought to himself.

Like the corridors, the bedroom walls were also plain white and there was nothing but a bed that was barely the right size, a small square bedside cabinet with one shelf and one draw and a metal toilet at the bottom of his bed.

Sighing, he put his suitcase onto the floor and pushed it under the bed.

"There's no need to unpack Jack, you won't be here for very long." He said to himself.

Leaning back, he lay down on the bed and stared up at the white ceiling, he was surprised by the simplicity of the room; he hadn't expected much but he had thought there would at least be a light.

Jack lost track of time as he stared blankly at the ceiling. He was snapped out of his daze when he heard the noise of the door being unlocked.

Jack was not surprised that the nurse who entered his room was wearing only white. She had her hair scraped back off her face and carried a clipboard in one hand.

"Hi Jack. I'm Gwyneth Alwin and I will be the nurse taking care of you during you stay at the Cardiff Institute. The doctor is ready to start your treatment now so if you would just like to follow me and we'll get started."

Jack nodded and climbed off the bed. They left the room and walked at a brisk pace through the maze of white corridors and eventually they stopped at a brown door.

Gwyneth looked back at Jack and smiled. Under normal circumstances, Jack would have found the smile friendly and reassuring but considering where she worked and what she was taking Jack to, he found the smile menacing and mocking.

She turned back to the door and knocked three times. A grunt was heard from inside the room, Gwyneth then entered the room and gestured for Jack to follow her. The room was dark and had a projector at one side and nothing else. A door with a small one way glass window was almost concealed as it was half behind the projector. Jack assumed that it was where the doctor would be watching him from.

"Master Harkness," the doctor greeted. "I am Doctor Valentine and this is my assistant."

Jack hadn't noticed the other man in the room. He stood solemnly in the corner of the room with his arms folded tightly across his chest. A thick leather strap was wrapped around his hand and a long trail of leather hung from it. It was obvious to Jack that the whip was going to be used on him as it appeared to be able to reach the other side of the room easily.

Jack swallowed once and closed his eyes. He really didn't want to start crying now. It would probably only result in more lashes.

"Thank you Gwyneth. You will be summoned later to return Jack to his room." Doctor Valentine ushered the nurse out of the room and locked the door behind her. "Jack, if you could just sit over there and watch the screen we can begin. Various images will be shown to you and we will monitor your reactions to these images."

Jack nodded. He didn't care what they did, just as long as he was allowed to go home soon.

"Good." Doctor Valentine said simply and walked into the room behind the projector. He closed the door behind him and Jack awaited his 'treatment' as he watched the screen flicker into life.


	14. Chapter 14

Ianto approached the house with caution. He was confident that Cassandra would provide a much better home and working place than Linda but would the other servant's be as nice as her? Was he going to find that Cassandra would be his only friend? He decided to stop worrying and get on with his new start.

He took a deep breath and knocked on the large wooden door. He listened for any sounds of people on the other side of the door but knew that if there were people on the other side he probably wouldn't even hear them due to the thick door.

Ianto sighed as he waited; he was already getting nervous again and his palms were sweating. His mind started racing; does it usually take this long for them to answer the door?

Ianto froze as the door suddenly opened before him.

"Hello, how may I help you?" The servant who answered the door asked.

Ianto blinked. "Erm...Cassandra said you would be expecting me."

"Are you Ianto Jones?" She asked.

"Yes." Ianto confirmed.

"Come in then Ianto." She stepped aside so Ianto could drag his suitcase through the door. "I'm Jennifer Lloyd. There actually aren't many servants here. Just you, Malachy Stewart, Carys Edmunds and me."

Ianto nodded. "Why are there not many servants?"

"Cassandra understands that life is easier with servants and it gives people a home and money but she doesn't really think it is right so she hires as little as possible. I also think she just didn't want her daughters to grow up spoiled like her sister. You worked for Lady Cassandra's sister, didn't you?"

"Yes." Ianto said simply.

"What is she like?" Jennifer asked.

"Horrible." Ianto muttered.

"Really? How is she horrible?" Jennifer pushed. She had heard about Linda Harkness but never met her.

"How much did Cassandra tell you about me coming here?" Ianto asked.

"She only told us that you were unfit for work until you decide you're capable and you were a Harkness servant." Jennifer told him.

"Could we go and sit down somewhere and I'll explain everything." Ianto decided it would be best if he was open and honest.

Jennifer nodded and led the way into the living area. Ianto looked around. It was big and spacious; definitely not the servant's quarters.

"Where is the servant's quarters?" He asked.

"The servant's quarters? Ianto dear, we haven't had servant's quarters since Cassandra took over this house." Jennifer laughed. Her attitude reminded him of Cassandra and he felt suddenly at ease and comfortable.

"So do you just sit in your room out of work hours?" Ianto still wasn't sure about how the household worked.

"No, we're allowed to use the rest of the house. Cassandra says that during 'out of work hours' as you put it, we live here but she, obviously, can still give us orders or not allow us into a room. Servant's do have a separate bathroom to the rest of the family." Jennifer explained. Ianto left his suitcase neatly in the corner of the room and sat down on the sofa next to where Jennifer was sitting. "Now I want to hear about Linda Harkness. Why do you not like her?"

"The reason I'm here is not because I decided to leave the Harkness family but because I was fired yesterday." Ianto hadn't talked about anything that happened since telling Sam and he was surprised that the tears hadn't started falling again. "I was fired and Jack was sent to the Cardiff Institute."

"Jack Harkness? Linda's son? Isn't the Cardiff Institute that place where they treat people for homosexuality? That place is so wrong!" Jennifer spoke without waiting for Ianto to answer.

"I was punished once but Jack was helping clean the wounds on my back afterwards and Mrs. Harkness fired me for it." Ianto finished. He didn't want to go into details.

"Fired for what exactly?" Jennifer looked confused.

"I was fired because I love Jack." Ianto admitted.

"Does Jack love you?" Jennifer said. She was uncharacteristically quiet.

"Yes." Ianto sighed and looked up at the clock on the wall. "He'll be at the institute now."

"I have two more questions. The first is how did you actually get into a relationship with Jack and will you be seeing him again?" Jennifer asked.

"It was hardly a relationship. I was assigned as his manservant whilst he was ill a few weeks ago and it sort of happened then and I don't think I'll ever get to see him again, not if Mrs. Harkness has anything to do with it." Ianto answered quickly, he could feel the tears starting to well in his eyes.

"If you really love him you should fight for him." Jennifer mumbled.

"We tried and I do love him but I'm scared that if I keep trying to fight for him, I will Jack hurt again." Ianto wiped frantically at his cheeks; he didn't want Jennifer's first impression of him to be a crying mess.

Jennifer nodded. "I'll show you to your room and you can rest for the rest of the day. In the morning I'll introduce you to everybody else."

Ianto followed Jennifer out of the living room and to the bedroom that Ianto would be the first room Ianto has had that he didn't have to share.

It was a bit bigger than the room he shared with Sam but it seemed so much larger because there would be only his things to go in and only one bed.

Ianto sighed and sat on the edge of his bed; he would unpack his suitcase later because right now he felt exhausted and just wanted to rest.

********

Jack woke up on his undersized bed. He tried to move and sit up but was stopped by a searing pain in his back. He groaned as he remembered how he had reacted to his 'treatment'. The images were shown and it didn't even matter how he responded to any of them, the big guy in the corner lashed him anyway.

Jack had managed to take 2 hours of the torture before he had finally passed out and was taken away. However, he could barely remember chunks of the 2 hours; it was just hazy because of the pain.

Jack froze as he heard the noise of a key sliding into the lock. Gwyneth stuck her head around the door and entered the room fully when she realised he was awake.

"How are you feeling, Jack?" She seemed genuinely concerned.

Jack gave a grunt in reply; he knew that his voice would crack if he tried to talk.

"Jack, you are actually due to go back to the doctor. I've been sent to collect you." Gwyneth explained. "But because you are new and not used to the treatments, we can allow you to skip this treatment and rest for a bit. However, you are not permitted to skip any more treatments."

Jack gave a small nod. He really didn't want to go back into the doctor's room and if he didn't use this chance to skip he may never get the chance again. However, he couldn't help but think that it was going to get a whole lot worse before it got better.

"Okay. I'll let Doctor Valentine know." Gwyneth started to leave but turned back. "Breakfast will be brought to you at 8 o clock tomorrow and you will not get anything else if you do not like it. At 9 o clock I will be back to escort you to see Doctor Valentine for another round of your treatment. There will be a one hour break for lunch followed by half an hour's rest and then back to see the doctor. At 4 o clock, you will return to your room where you will find your last meal for the day. You will not be sent to the doctor again until the following morning where the routine will be repeated."

Jack nodded again and Gwyneth left the room. He couldn't understand her; she seemed concerned at times but then suddenly switched into speaking like a textbook. How could she just flip from a caring nurse into an emotionless doctor's assistant?

Jack decided to forget about her; it didn't really matter anyway because she must be emotionless to work in a place like this, he thought. Jack gritted his teeth and rolled into a more comfortable position on his bed to go to sleep.

Just as he was drifting off, Jack's thought's turned to Ianto and he suddenly felt wide awake again.


	15. Chapter 15

"Cassandra, I would like you to phone all the guests and explain to them that we are dealing with a personal problem at the moment so the wedding is being postponed. We will send new invitations out as soon as we know when the wedding will be. Be sure to stress the fact that the wedding is not off; it is just postponed. Have you got that?" Linda handed the guest list to Cassandra.

"I'll go do it now." Cassandra said. She saw this as the perfect chance to ring the Cardiff Institute to check on Jack and also ring her own house to find out if Ianto got there safely.

Linda smiled. She didn't seem regretful that she sent Jack to the Institute and she didn't seem concerned about him either. It was Jack's second day in the Institute. Right now, her only worry was the wedding and re-organising it for another date.

Cassandra quietly slipped out of the living area where they had been having tea together and headed up to her room.

She pulled the phone over to where she sat on her bed and quickly dialled the operator's number. She waited patiently for an answer at the other end of the line.

"Hello, you've reached the Cardiff phone operating services. How may I help you?" The voice said.

"Hi, I was wondering if you could put me through to the Cardiff Institute." Cassandra asked politely.

"Yes, I'll put you through right away." The operator replied.

"Thank you." Cassandra heard a click down the line as the operator redirected her call to the Cardiff Institute.

The phone rang four times before anybody answered.

"Hello, this is the Cardiff Institute." The receptionist said.

Cassandra felt slightly relieved to hear a friendly voice. She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. "Hello, I would like to speak to one of your patients please."

"I'm sorry but patients are not permitted to speak to anybody over the phone. If you wish to speak to one of our patients, you must do so during visiting hours. Visiting hours are between 5pm and 7pm." The voice on the other end of the phone explained.

"Well are you able to tell me how he is getting on?" Cassandra asked.

"I can only release that kind of information to family members." She replied.

"My name is Cassandra Banks; I am Jack Harkness' auntie." Cassandra desperately hoped that by family, she didn't mean mother or father.

"Okay. You are enquiring about the patient Jack Harkness?" The receptionist confirmed.

"Yes." Cassandra agreed.

"Jack Harkness is with the doctor at the moment. He didn't respond very well to the treatment yesterday and he had to skip the evening session." The receptionist read off a sheet.

"He skipped the evening session? Is he able to skip the sessions if he's not feeling up to it?" Cassandra instantly felt hopefully. If Jack had even the slightest bit of control, he would probably be okay.

"No. He was allowed one 'skip'. He used it last night and now he must attend every session." The receptionist sounded irritated.

"Oh. Can he check himself out?" She asked. The hope Cassandra had just had was gone.

"No. Jack can be discharged by a member of family but not by himself." She replied.

"Okay, thank you for your help." Cassandra hung up and sighed. She hoped Jack would be able to cope until she managed to put her plan into effect. Shaking her head, she tried to focus on the task she had been given.

She picked the phone up again and dialled the first number on the guest list.

"Hello, my name is Cassandra Banks. I'm phoning to let you know of some changes to the Harkness-Evan's wedding."

********

Ianto woke up a lot later than usual. It was 10:30am by the time he crawled out of his bed and opened his curtains to let the sunlight fill his new room. He yawned and stretched whilst deciding whether he should take a shower and explore his new home or just laze around in his pyjama's in his room all day and rest. Ianto eventually decided to do the latter and he sat back down on the bottom of his bed.

He started thinking about Jack and how unfair it was that he was in an institute whilst Ianto was starting a new life.

Ianto's thoughts were broken into when the phone rang. He didn't even realise there was a phone in his room until now.

He cautiously leaned over to his bedside cabinet and lifted the phone off the hook.

"Hello?" Ianto spoke into the handset as he pressed it to his ear. He had absolutely no idea who it could be; hardly anybody knew he was here.

"Ianto?" The voice on the other end asked.

"Yes, this is Ianto Jones. Who's calling?" Ianto began to gather his thoughts.

"It's Cassandra. I've just rang the Cardiff Institute to see how Jack was getting on and he's not been responding well." Cassandra explained hurriedly.

"Is he okay?" Ianto panicked.

"I don't know. The receptionist said nobody can talk to him. They must visit him during visiting hours. I'm going to go down on Saturday and see him." Cassandra told him.

"Can you not go earlier?" Ianto asked whilst trying to keep himself under control.

"No, I don't want Linda knowing about any of my involvement. Seriously Ianto, you need to trust me on this." Ianto closed his eyes. It was a relief to hear Cassandra's voice again because it meant that nothing drastic - except Jack having his life ripped from his grasp - had happened.

"Okay." He muttered. "I just need to know he's alright."

"I know Ianto, I understand how you feel." Cassandra said. Her voice sounded just like it had when she was trying to soothe him after he said goodbye to Sam.

"How is Sam?" Ianto didn't want to get hung up on how Sam was coping but he found he couldn't help asking about him; he meant way too much.

"He's coping." Cassandra lied. Sam moving up to her house was supposed to be a surprise for Ianto and she couldn't ruin it now. It was only a matter of days before Sam left to travel there.

"Okay." Ianto was unable to think of anything better to say. There was a silence between them and Cassandra felt the need to break it before Ianto started thinking too much about the past events.

"How are you settling in?" She asked.

"You have a lovely house. Did you tell your servant's which bedroom would be mine? It's so spacious. Jennifer told me all the do's and don'ts. I can't believe little I feel like a servant here!" Ianto spoke quickly and excitably.

Cassandra chuckled to herself. She knew that would distract Ianto for a while. "I did tell them which bedroom would be yours; that is how I know which phone number to ring. I don't like treating people to harshly and servants are human being's too."

"Try telling Linda that." Ianto replied.

Cassandra chuckled again. "Yeah, I've tried and she didn't speak to me for a month!"

Ianto rolled back on the bed as he laughed. He hadn't felt this comfortable talking to someone since Sam.

"Ianto, I would love to talk to you all day but I'm supposed to bed doing something for Linda and she'll be wondering what's taking me so long. I'll see you soon?" Cassandra asked.

"Yeah, see you soon." Ianto said his goodbye and they both hung up the phone.

Ianto sat and stared at the phone. He had decided to laze around in his pyjamas but talking to Cassandra made him realise that when he wasn't busy, he was only able to sit and mope about Jack. Realising this, he decided to get washed and dressed and take a walk around the grounds, get to know his surroundings properly and try not to dwell on recent events. Hopefully he would feel right at home by the time Cassandra got back.


	16. Chapter 16

Jack groaned as he walked out of the doctor's room. It was 4 o clock on Saturday. So far, he hadn't had any visitors and was completely unaware of Cassandra's plan to visit him this evening.

Although his entire body felt exhausted and drained, he couldn't help but walk as fast as he could in the direction of his room. Once there, he flopped down on the small bed and sighed. Jack wasn't getting used to the 'treatments' exactly but it didn't feel as bad as it did on his first day; he assumed it was his body's way of trying to help him get through it.

The door opened and interrupted Jack's attempt to fall asleep.

"Jack, here's your last meal. I will be coming to collect you in an hour." Gwyneth placed a bowl of an unrecognisable substance on the bedside cabinet and put a dull spoon down next to it.

Jack's eyes widened suddenly. "Why? You said I was not required to visit the doctor after 4 o clock."

"We have been informed that you will be having a visitor." Gwyneth said quickly and left the room before Jack could ask any more questions.

Blinking, Jack gazed silently at the now locked door and wondered to himself who his visitor could be. He didn't want to see his mother and he could rule out his father right now. Paul Harkness wanted nothing more to do with his son; that much was perfectly clear. Could it be Cassandra? He doubted she would be able to escape his mother's clutches long enough to visit him. Jack didn't even bother including Ianto as a possibility. He would be well out of Cardiff by now, especially if Linda had anything to do with it.

He sighed and turned to his last meal of the day. It was nothing he particularly wanted to eat but every meal was the same here. Jack couldn't even tell anybody exactly what it was that he had been eating for the past four days. Picking up the bowl and spoon, he began to eat the thick substance whilst trying to keep his mind off what he was eating so he wasn't sick again.

Jack had finished his meal in about fifteen minutes .There was no clock in his room so he couldn't be sure how long he had left to wait until he got to meet his mysterious visitor. To pass the time he decided to lie down on his bed and count the small bumps in the ceiling; this had been one of those boring time-wasting activities that he had never seen himself taking part in. However, desperate times called for desperate measures and this was certainly a desperate time.

Jack had lost count a couple of times at the beginning due to his mind wandering but he finally regained focus and had counted five hundred and thirty bumps in the ceiling when he heard the door being unlocked again. Sitting up, he waited expectantly for the nurse to enter his room.

"Jack, your visitor is here. Please follow me and I will escort you to the visiting area." Gwyneth picked the empty bowl and the spoon up from the bedside cabinet and gestured for Jack to follow.

They walked in silence down the white corridors. Jack had never been in these corridors; he found it hard to believe that the identical corridors were actually becoming less identical every time he walked down them. For example, the corridors that led to Doctor Valentine's treatment room had a carpet that was slightly worn away down the middle. Jack guessed that this was due to the countless patients who had to visit the doctor twice a day. Jack always went to the doctor quietly and obediently and he didn't dare imagine to poor, terrified souls who would kick, scream and get dragged down the corridor. It wasn't something he would wish upon anybody.

"Okay, nobody will be listening to what is said between you and your visitor but we will be watching from behind a one-way window so don't try anything funny." Gwyneth explained.

Jack nodded.

"Do you have any questions?" She asked.

"Yes. Am I able to say if I don't want to see my visitor?" Jack said. He was not up to talking to his mother or father.

"Yes. At anytime you are allowed to request to go back to your room and the visitor will be sent home." Gwyneth nodded.

"Okay. Can I go in now?" Jack pointed to the door they were standing at.

Gwyneth nodded again and opened the door for him. Jack walked through the door and looked up to see who his visitor was.

He was happy to see Cassandra sitting at the small table in the middle of the room. She was smiling over at him.

"Jack!" She stood up immediately and hugged her nephew.

"Auntie Cassandra! Does my mother know you are here?" He asked.

"No. I told her I was visiting a friend and wouldn't be back until around 8 o clock. How are you?" Cassandra explained.

"Not very good. I've been trying so hard to deal with it and cope but it's so hard! I can't even figure out what I'm getting fed." Jack mumbled.

"Well Jack, I want to tell you something." Jack's eyes widened. Was it going to be serious? "I hired Ianto and he is going to be staying at my house and working as my servant."

Jack released the breath he had been holding. "So he's okay?"

"Yes, he's settling in well. The only problem he has is that you are here instead of being with him."

"I love him and I want him to be happy but I can't help that." Jack looked down. It was troubling to know that he was the only reason that Ianto wasn't truly happy.

"You're right; by yourself you cannot do anything but..." Cassandra trailed off; she hoped that Jack would understand what she was trying to say.

"But what?" Jack raised his eyebrows.

"Jack, the receptionist told me that any family member can sign you out of the Institute." Cassandra explained.

"How does that help me?" Jack still didn't get what she was trying to tell him.

Cassandra sighed at the slowness of her nephew. Jack usually wasn't like this but he had obviously given up all hope of ever seeing Ianto again.

"I am your auntie so I will sign you out." Cassandra cut to the chase.

"Really? That's great! The only problem is, I don't want to go back to my mother and father's house, they will just put me back in here or make me marry Jessica." Jack spoke quickly.

"Jack, Ianto wants to be with you and you clearly want to be with Ianto. I'm not going to be like your parents and deny your love. You can come and live at my house and be with him." Cassandra completely revealed her plan.

"You would really do that for us?" Jack sounded shocked.

Cassandra nodded. She knew true love was rare and often difficult to find and she wasn't about to ruin Jack and Ianto's possible only chance of finding it.

"Jack, love is love no matter who it is with. Nobody should judge or disallow it." Cassandra explained to him.

"Thank you so much auntie Cassandra!" Jack leaned across the table and hugged her.

"Would you be able to spend one more night in here so I can organise transport and prepare myself to go back home? I will be able to pick you up at 9:00am tomorrow. Is that okay?" Cassandra asked as Jack pulled away.

"Yes, I'm not required to go back to the doctor until 9 o clock tomorrow so please don't be late." Jack replied.

"I won't. I know visiting time isn't over for another hour and a half but I'm going to go now so I can get everything ready. I'll see you tomorrow. Make sure you have everything packed." Cassandra kissed him on the forehead.

"To be honest, I haven't actually unpacked yet. I didn't plan to stay for long." Jack admitted.

"How were you going to get out?" Cassandra grinned at Jack. He was always scheming when he was a child and she was glad to see some of the old Jack still there.

"I was trying to hide who I am and let them think that they had changed me like they have with so many others. It would have been good practise for when I got home." Jack's face showed no emotion. He wasn't proud of hiding himself but he was desperate.

"Well I'm glad you didn't have to do that Jack. I've got to go now. See you tomorrow." Cassandra waved slightly as she made her way to the door.

She left without looking back and Jack's gaze lingered on the door for a moment until Gwyneth reappeared and gestured for him to follow her.

Gwyneth escorted him back to his room and locked it when she left. For the first time since he had arrived, Jack fell asleep easily and slept soundlessly. His thoughts were only on getting out of the Cardiff Institute tomorrow and seeing Ianto again.

* * *

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	17. Chapter 17

Ianto walked sleepily into the kitchen. He had been here for five days and this was the first morning that he hadn't tried to walk the wrong way out of his bedroom door. He had slept in the same room since he was five and it was taking some getting used to but banging his head off the door frame every morning for the rest of his life was more appealing than spending it working for Linda Harkness.

"Morning Ianto!" Jennifer greeted him cheerfully from her position at the cooker.

"Good morning." Ianto aimed it at the other servant's who sat lazily around the kitchen reading the morning papers.

"Did you sleep well?" Malachy glanced over the top of his paper.

"Yeah, it was great." Ianto smiled. He hadn't had so many good night sleeps in as long as he could remember and he felt great. The only thing that was still worrying him was Jack. He was finding it hard to just forget him like Linda wanted him to but he wasn't mentioning it to his fellow servants either in case they weren't as tolerable as Sam and Cassandra. Ianto had sat in his room yesterday and cried for a little over an hour. It wasn't fair. However, he felt that it wasn't fair on everybody else if he mopes around and depresses them as well so he kept himself to himself most of the time.

Ianto sat opposite Carys and rubbed his head.

"Did you bang your head again?" Carys giggled. It was almost becoming a routine for the newest servant.

Ianto chuckled. "Yeah, I'll find the door first try one of these mornings."

Jennifer served everybody their breakfasts and sat down to eat her own.

"Cassandra's due back today." Jennifer said to no one in particular.

"Really? Does she always come back on time?" Ianto was excited about Cassandra's return.

"Usually she does but you never know. The Harkness house might be a bit chaotic with them trying to cover the fact that Jack is..." Jennifer trailed off; she didn't really want to bring the topic up and didn't think before she spoke.

"...is in the Institute." Ianto finished off for her. He didn't want people walking on egg shells around him. It was already enough that whenever he thought about Jack when he was alone, he broke down. The memories of Jack were supposed to be happy; the only time in his life when he had felt carefree and completely at peace with himself. Ianto desperately wanted Jack back and knew that the feeling was mutual but he couldn't see that happening.

"Well I'm off to start my jobs." Carys stood up and placed her plate in the kitchen sink. She then skipped out of the kitchen.

Ianto grinned. No matter what Carys was doing, she was always happy. She had mid-length blonde hair that was always tied up in a bun when she was working. Her brown eyes seemed to glitter with mischief but she had not caused any of the harmless pranks that Ianto expected from her yet. The smile she gave was brighter than the stars at night in the countryside and instantly made everyone feel at ease despite her mischievous glint. Ianto like Carys; he had imagined one night that she would be a perfect match with Sam. Sam was shy in front of strangers and Carys was full of energy and confident about herself and opposites attract, don't they?

Ianto finished off the rest of his breakfast and offered to do the dishes as he did every morning and just like every other morning, Jennifer told him to stop being silly and took his plate out of his hands and cleaned the dishes herself.

Ianto went back to his room to finish unpacking his things. He had been living out of his suitcase since he arrived and finally decided that it was time to move in properly.

********

Jack sat patiently on the end of his bed; glancing around the room he checked that everything was packed. It was a nervous trait as he hadn't unpacked anything in his time being here.

The anxiety was slowly eating his insides; it was almost unbearable. Cassandra had never let him down before but he still couldn't help but doubt that he would get out of the Institute today.

A knock at the door made him jump. The nurses didn't usually knock. Would Cassandra be collecting him personally?

"Yes?" Jack thought it would be fitting to shout at the person on the other side of the door.

"Are you dressed Jack?" Jack recognised the voice as Gwyneth's. His heart sank, she would be here to take him to the doctor; but why would she suddenly knock?

"Yes." Jack shouted again and Gwyneth entered his room.

"Jack, you are no longer a patient here at the Cardiff Institute. If you would like to gather your belongings, I will lead you to the main reception where your Auntie Cassandra is waiting to take you home." Gwyneth explained. Jack merely nodded; not want to ask questions in case they abruptly changed their minds.

Picking up his suitcase, he followed Gwyneth out of the small room and down a set of corridor's that he had only seen when he entered the Institute. After what was only a two minute walk, but what felt like forever Jack was face to face with Cassandra again.

"Jack." Cassandra wrapped her arms around Jack and kissed his cheek.

"Can we go, please?" Jack asked, he was eager to get out of the Institute as quick as possible.

"Of course. I have a taxi waiting outside. Linda and Paul think I'm on my way back to my house now." Cassandra led the way out of the doors and over to a small black taxi. She gave Jack's suitcase to the driver and climbed into the back.

"Does Ianto know I'm coming to live with you?" Jack asked as he climbed in after her.

"No, it's going to be a surprise. He knows that I will be coming home today but nobody has any idea that I'm bringing you with me." Cassandra smiled slyly at him.

Laughing, Jack leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes; he wanted to rest before seeing Ianto again. Jack grinned to himself, just the thought of seeing Ianto again was making him giddy.

Cassandra's laugh broke into his thoughts.

"What?" Jack raised an eyebrow as he opened one eye to look at Cassandra.

"You're thinking about Ianto, aren't you?" She accused playfully.

"Well, what do you expect? I've put up with speaking to barely anybody and being treated worse than crap and I can finally see some light at the end of the tunnel. I deserve to have to nice thoughts." Jack closed his eye and went back to relaxing.

"I suppose so." Cassandra mumbled and let Jack rest.

********

"Jack honey, wake up. We're here." Cassandra gently shook Jack awake. The car journey hadn't took that long but Jack was exhausted and had fell asleep pretty quickly

"Okay, I'm awake." Jack grumbled. He hauled himself out of the car as Cassandra paid the driver and collected their suitcases.

"Lady Cassandra!" Jennifer ran towards them. She stopped in front of Cassandra and curtsied slightly. Cassandra shook her head at the little gesture and pulled the servant into a hug. "Let me take those cases." Jennifer mumbled into Cassandra's shoulder.

"Okay, thanks Jennifer." Cassandra linked Jack's arm and led him up the steps and into the hallway. "Jennifer, where is Ianto?"

"I think he's in his room." Jennifer replied. "I'll take your suitcase up to your bedroom Cassandra. What would you like me to do with your friend's case?"

"Sorry, I forgot to introduce you. Jack, this is Jennifer, my servant. Jennifer, this is Jack, my nephew." Cassandra made the introductions.

"Hello Jack, it's nice to meet you." Jennifer shook his hand.

"You too." Jack replied. He didn't feel like making small talk; all he could think of at the moment was seeing Ianto and then going to sleep.

"Jennifer, could you take Jack's suitcase up to the main guestroom please. That will be Jack's room from now on." Cassandra instructed.

"Okay. See you later." Jennifer took the cases and took them upstairs.

Cassandra turned to Jack. "I know you're tired honey but I think it's best if we go and see Ianto before he goes to bed."

Jack nodded and followed her through the house until they reached Ianto's bedroom.

Cassandra knocked twice and entered the room.

"Ianto?" She asked.

"Cassandra! It's so good to see you!" Ianto jumped up from his seat on the bed and ran to hug Cassandra. He had closed his eyes when he hugged Cassandra and opened them again as he was pulling away. Ianto's jaw dropped and his eyes widened when he saw Jack. He blinked a few times to make sure he wasn't seeing things and walked past Cassandra.

They stood in front of each other for a few moments and just looked at one another.

"I'm so sorry." Ianto whispered and wrapped his arms around Jack's neck, pulling his closer.

Jack let out a sob as he clung to Ianto. "Don't be...It's not your...fault." Jack managed to say between his sobs.

Ianto pulled away slightly but still held Jack. He looked into the eyes he had missed so much and wiped away the tears that fell down Jack's cheek with his thumb.

Jack leaned towards Ianto and pressed a tender kiss to his lips. He had forgotten how good it felt to be in Ianto's arms and he never wanted to let go.

"I don't want to interrupt or anything but I have a surprise for the two of you." Cassandra hadn't moved from where she stood in Ianto's room.

They pulled apart and turned to face Cassandra.

"A surprise?" Jack asked.

"Yes. Follow me and I'll show you." She gestured for the pair to follow her and led them out of the bedroom, through the house and up the stairs.

They stopped outside a door on the second floor. Jack and Ianto looked impatiently at Cassandra.

"Jack, this is your room." Cassandra opened the door to reveal a cream coloured bedroom with a large double bed in the middle of the back wall. The curtain's had been drawn back and the moon bathed everything in its white light. "Ianto, this is also your room."

Cassandra turned around to face Jack and Ianto so she could see their reactions. Jack grinned goofily and Ianto's jaw dropped.

"Are you serious?" Jack asked.

"Yes, you are finally staying in a house that accepts who you are so there's not need to hide it and be sneaky. It also saves people from changing Jack's bed and Ianto's bed. There is a bathroom through that door there." Cassandra pointed out. "Goodnight."

Cassandra quickly left the room and closed the door behind her. Jack looked over at Ianto whose jaw was still hanging open.

"Yan, close your mouth, flies will get in." Jack giggled. Ianto snapped his mouth shut and smiled at Jack. They had their own room together. Ianto couldn't think of anything that would have made him any happier at this moment in time. He had Jack back and that was all that really mattered to him.

"I know we should celebrate getting a bedroom together but all I want to do now is sleep." Jack walked over to the bed and climbed in. He didn't even care that he still had his clothes on.

"Yeah, me too." Ianto agreed and climbed in the other side of the bed. "This is a bit weird."

"I can get used to it." Jack smiled.

"It's a good weird." Ianto agreed. "Goodnight Jack."

"Goodnight Ianto, see you in the morning." Jack replied and closed his eyes. He felt an arm wrap protectively around his chest and he couldn't help but smile to himself. This was home.


	18. Chapter 18

Jack woke up when somebody knocked at his and Ianto's door. He glanced at Ianto and saw that he was still asleep; quickly making his way over to the door so the next knock wouldn't wake Ianto, Jack answered the door to Jennifer.

"Sorry to disturb you Jack but Cassandra said to bring you breakfast in bed now." Jennifer held the tray out to Jack.

"Thanks Jennifer." Jack whispered and took the tray from Jennifer.

"See you later." Jennifer gave Jack a small wave and left.

Jack closed the door and took the tray over to the bedside table. He sat back down on the bed and surveyed the breakfast. There was a plate of toast with little packets of butter and jam on the side and two full English breakfast and two glasses of orange juice.

Jack leaned over and kissed Ianto. He pulled away when he felt Ianto's eyelashes brush his cheek as his eye's fluttered open.

"Jack?" Ianto mumbled. He rubbed his eyes and looked up at Jack.

"Good morning Yan, we've got breakfast in bed." Jack pointed at the tray. Ianto sat up and also surveyed their meal.

"It looks delicious." Ianto grinned and leaned over Jack to grab a piece of toast.

When Ianto had settled down again with his piece of toast Jack scooted over so he was sitting right next to Ianto; he leaned back over to pick up the tray and placed it half on his lap and half on Ianto's. He promptly started eating his breakfast and watched Ianto out of the corner of his eye. He hadn't seen enough of him yesterday and although he was hungry, he still didn't want to take his eyes off him. They ate in silence and Ianto gulped down the last of his orange juice.

"I'm full." Ianto leaned his head on Jack's shoulder.

"Me too." Jack agreed and reached over to put the tray back on the bedside table. "It's good to be home."

"Mmm-hmm." Ianto mumbled. "Jack?" Ianto lifted his head of Jack's shoulder and looked him in the eyes.

"Yes?" Jack asked.

"I think we should talk." Ianto said.

"About what?" Jack raised an eyebrow.

"About the Institute...the punishment...everything." Ianto relied. Jack's brow furrowed and Ianto quickly continued. "If we don't talk about what happened now, it could seriously affect us in the future."

"How?" Jack was still confused.

"I don't know exactly but I think it's got something to do with nobody knowing how you felt and coped with your ordeals." Ianto tried explaining.

Jack nodded slowly. "I see what you mean but we'll do it later."

Jack leaned forward and kissed Ianto. He pulled away ever so slightly.

"I've missed you." He mumbled and moved back so he had his arm wrapped around Ianto and pulled him in for another kiss. Ianto happily melted into it and began re-familiarising himself with Jack.

********

Cassandra made her way into the living room and picked up the phone that Jennifer had left off the hook as somebody wanted to speak to Cassandra.

"Hello?" She said into the receiver.

"Hello, mother?" A familiar voice answered.

"Amber?" Cassandra asked.

"Yes. How are you? Did you enjoy your stay at Auntie Linda's house?" Amber asked.

"It was...interesting." Cassandra wasn't sure how much she should tell her daughter.

"What happened?" Amber knew that a stay at her Auntie Linda's house was never the most pleasant of experiences and she could think of a million different things that she would rather be doing.

"Amber, when are you and Emma coming home?" Cassandra closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"We're coming home tomorrow. Emma's just finishing packing." Amber explained.

"Okay. I'll tell you all the details tomorrow but all you need to know is that Jack and his friend Ianto are living with us now." Cassandra decided. If she did it this way, she would have a bit longer to think through how she is going to explain that their Auntie Linda had whipped her own son's boyfriend because they refused to deny their love and sent Jack to the Cardiff Institute. It wasn't really something that she had ever expected that she would have to explain to her daughters. Also it meant that she could discuss with Jack just how much they were going to tell them. It was Jack and Ianto's life after all and they deserved to have a say in what was going to be said.

"All right. I'll have to go and help Emma pack or we'll miss the train tomorrow. See you soon." Amber said.

"Yeah, see you tomorrow. Tell your sister I love her." Cassandra said her goodbye and hung up.

Sighing deeply, Cassandra closed her eyes and rested her head. The worry about what Linda would do when she finds out about Jack was starting to eat away at her.

Amber and Emma are Cassandra's twin daughters. They go to a Welsh boarding school but come home every five weeks for a two week break. The girl's father died a few years ago and all of his possessions including the house and all the family money was to be given to Amber when Cassandra died as she was slightly older than Emma. This didn't cause any sibling rivalry between the twins as Amber made a vow to share everything equally with Emma. However Cassandra tried everything possible to get their father to change his mind and write Emma into the will but he stuck to his guns and refused to change it.

Just as Cassandra was about to get up and take a bath, Jack walked in.

"Good morning." He sung to Cassandra.

"Good morning. I assume you had a good night?" She asked while wondering where Ianto was.

"Yes, it was the most amazing feeling when I woke up with Ianto lying there next to me." Jack couldn't stop grinning.

"That's nice. So you don't regret any of what's happened in the past month?" Cassandra asked. She wanted to be sure that her nephew was happy with what they were doing.

"None at all." Jack answered truthfully. "Do you know what I do actually miss?"

"What?" Cassandra raised her eyebrow.

"Talking with you about everything." Jack sat next to Cassandra on the sofa. "Are you busy right now?"

"No, what's on your mind, honey?" Cassandra turned her body slightly so she was facing Jack.

"At the moment, Ianto is all I can think about. He's more than I ever hoped for." Jack sighed contentedly.

Cassandra chuckled. "You really do love him, don't you?"

"Of course! He's funny, sweet, kind, caring and so cute." Jack smiled as he listed some of the things he loved about Ianto. "There's also something that I love about him but I can't put my finger on it. It's sort of like a need for him to be around. I miss him when he's not there and that short stay at the Institute was so hard because I was away from him. I know it sounds stupid..."

"It's not stupid at all. It's lovely to know that you've found someone that makes you so happy." Cassandra placed a hand on Jack's knee to reassure him.

"You should have seen his this morning. It was just before Jennifer brought us breakfast; his face was bathed in the sunlight and he looked so peaceful. He was smiling in his sleep and it was so adorable and I didn't want to move but I had to answer the door to get the breakfast or he would have woke up." Jack described.

"It sounds really nice." Cassandra said. Everything that Jack had just described reminded her of when she was in love with Amber and Emma's father. She thought it was the most amazing feeling in the world until she had her daughters. Cassandra blinked and brought herself back to the present. "Where is Ianto?"

"He's getting ready. We're going to go for a walk around the gardens soon. Is that okay?" Jack asked.

"Of course it's okay. Jack, you're living here now and I don't want you asked every time you want to do something. I also want you to just call me Cassandra from now on." Cassandra told him. They both heard the footsteps coming down the stairs. "I think Ianto's coming down now. Go and enjoy your first day together."

"Okay. Thanks for listening to me." Jack gave Cassandra a quick hug as Ianto entered the living room.

"Good morning Cassandra." Ianto smiled.

"Hello Ianto." Cassandra grinned back. Just as Jack was getting off the sofa, Cassandra remembered that she had something to tell him. "Jack, I forgot to mention, Amber and Emma are coming home for the two week break tomorrow. I've told them that you and Ianto are living here but I said that I'd go into detail when they get home. I just thought that you might want to decide how much you want to tell them."

"I think we should tell them everything. I don't want them kept in the dark because they might come to the wrong conclusions and blame the wrong person." Jack answered.

Ianto nodded in agreement. Sometime when Cassandra was telling Jack about Amber and Emma, Ianto had interlaced his and Jack's fingers and stood happily by his side.

"Okay, do you want to tell them or shall I?" Cassandra asked.

"I think we should all tell them." Jack said after a moment's thought.

"That sounds like a good plan. Now go outside and enjoy yourselves." Cassandra shooed them out of the living room and they walked hand in hand to the garden.

* * *

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	19. Chapter 19

Jack and Ianto walked silently through the gardens that were now there home. It wasn't an awkward silence; it was comfortable and they were just happy to be together without any complications.

Jack stopped by a large overhanging tree and pulled Ianto down to sit underneath it. They still didn't talk as Jack rubbed small circles on the back of Ianto's hand with his thumb. Ianto had not left go of Jack's hand since they came outside. He couldn't help thinking that if he let go of Jack, he would find himself sitting alone beneath the tree and Jack still in the Institute. It didn't seem real yet he knew that it was.

"Ianto, I was thinking about this morning when you said we should talk about stuff..." Jack trailed off. Ianto had never seen his so unsure of himself so he nodded for Jack to continue. "...and I think I'm ready to talk to you about everything."

"I only suggested it this morning; do you not want more time?" Ianto didn't want to pressure him into doing something that would only result in hurting him further.

"I know but the more I thought about it, it makes complete sense. I don't want our lives to be based on assumption and guessing. We need to know exactly what went on with each other while we were apart so we can move on and enjoy the rest of our lives together." Jack explained. It was clear to Ianto that Jack had thought about it a lot.

"Okay. Do you want to start?" Ianto asked. He had noticed that Jack had said 'the rest of our lives together' and he wanted so much to hold and kiss him but felt that the conversation they were about to have should come before anything else at the moment. The time was right for Jack and afterwards he could hold and kiss him as much as he wanted. They had the rest of their lives to do that.

Jack merely nodded. "When Sam came to my room to tell me that you were getting beaten, I cried so hard and I hurt more than I ever imagined I could. I ached to be with you and protect you. Do you know what the worst part was? Knowing that I was the one who had got you into that mess and knowing that my mother wouldn't punish me. She's rather punish you enough for both of us. I felt so helpless. Then I tried to help you and got you into more trouble. I had promised to protect you..." Jack's voice cracked as he recalled the awful memories. Ianto put his free hand on Jack's knee reassuringly and it seemed to calm Jack down enough for him to carry on. "I broke that promise and I didn't fight hard enough to stop you getting fired. Instead I just succeeded in making you think it was your entire fault when it wasn't."

"Jack, it wasn't your fault either. Linda did all this. We did nothing wrong. If Cassandra heard you saying that it was your fault..." Ianto was cut off by Jack.

"I know Cassandra and everybody blames my mother but I still feel responsible for not stopping her." Jack explained. "Anyway, when my mother and father admitted me into the Cardiff Institute, my mother tried to give me a kiss goodbye and acted as if she didn't have any other choice. She was probably just hoping that I would forgive her and I might have if I didn't have you but there is no way I'll ever forgive her now for what she's done. It took me all my life to realise just how controlling and narrow-minded she is and I'm not letting her rule my life anymore." Ianto smiled at Jack. It was good to know that he wouldn't be fooled by Linda ever again; it gave him a sense of security. "But when my dad went to follow my mother out, he didn't say anything. He just gave me this look and I know that he doesn't want anything to do with me from now on. I'm dead to him."

"Jack..." Ianto started.

"No Ianto, it's the truth. He didn't have to say anything for me to know how he feels. It's been that way ever since I was little; I could see it in the way he looks at me. It's as if I've failed him or he expected me to fail him. I wasn't the son he wanted and I understood that so I distanced myself from him. We only ever communicated when it was necessary and that was always done in the quickest and shortest way possible."

"I had no idea that you and your father were like that." Ianto said.

"Why would you? You were ordered to stay in the kitchen until not long ago. I suppose it was a good thing really. If I was never close to him, I won't notice any loss." Jack paused and thought quietly about the next bit. He took a deep breath when he was ready to continue. "In the Institute I didn't come into contact with many people. It was just the nurse, the doctor and his 'assistant'. I managed to hide my feelings and it was as if my body was on auto-pilot; it refused to register any pain. Any pain except the pain caused from being away from you. I couldn't seem to avoid that. Every night I would cry myself to sleep and dream of you. Dream of what it would have been like if my mother had never found out and we could just live in my room...but then they would turn into nightmares where you would be took to the Institute with me and I would have to watch you getting 'treated' from behind the doctor's one-way window. I would wake-up covered in sweat and crying still; I couldn't get back to sleep after that and I just sat awaiting my 'treatment' and hope the nightmares wouldn't return."

Ianto wiped his owns tear away and replaced his hand on Jack's knee. He had no idea that Jack had been suffering so much.

Jack took another deep breath and looked directly into Ianto's eyes. "When Cassandra came to visit me on Saturday evening and told me that you were safe and living at her house, I felt so relieved. I was able to rest a bit easier knowing that you were okay. Then she told me that she would discharge me from the Institute and take me to you, I was so happy and excited that I thought the nurses would suspect something and stop it from happening. The next morning when I was waiting for Cassandra, I was so worried in case something went wrong or you wouldn't want me anymore." Ianto shook his head vigorously. He would always want Jack. "The hours dragged and eventually Cassandra arrived and I was freed from that hell-hole without any complications."

When Jack had finished, they both sat in silence. Ianto hadn't realised the amount of pain that Jack was in and was surprised that he had managed to talk about it in such a strong way.

Ianto leaned forward and placed a gentle, tender kiss to Jack's lips. He wanted to reassure Jack that what they had been through had not been in vain.

"I'm sorry Jack." Ianto whispered as he pulled away.

"Me too." Jack managed and closed his eyes as he tried to get his breathing back to normal.

Jack wrapped an arm protectively around Ianto's waist and pulled him closer.

"Should I talk now?" Ianto asked. He didn't want to upset Jack any further.

"Only if you want to." Jack answered. He opened his eyes and looked at Ianto. His blue eyes were deep and full of truth. It touched Ianto and made him hate Linda so much more than he had before. He had always been taught that hating people was wrong but he felt that in this situation, it was acceptable.

"I wasn't really that bothered about being punished at first and I tried to be strong like you but when I looked up in the middle of it. My eyes met with Linda's and I could see hate mixed with joy. She was enjoying punishing me when she knew it was hurting you. That annoyed and upset me so much because I couldn't understand why she would want to hurt you. You're not the type of person who would want to hurt someone and you didn't deserve it. Then when you tried to help me and she fired me, I felt sick. I wasn't just my friends and home; I was losing the love of my life. You and Sam are the only two people I had that were like family. That was until Cassandra took me in. I finally felt safe but it was as if there was a hole and it was aching so badly and I couldn't seem to even start getting over you; it might have been because I didn't want to. I explained everything to Jennifer when I first arrived here and she said 'If you really love him you should fight for him' and I racked my brain every night to try and figure out a plan that would work. I considered busting you out of the Institute but then I realised how heavily guarded that place would be." Ianto gave a slight, sad chuckle at the memories of some of his plans. "In front of the rest of the servant's, I would hide behind a false façade. I didn't want them to know how much I was hurting. I also lay awake at night thinking of you. It seemed that every time I thought of you, I would break down." Ianto stared straight ahead, fighting back the tears. "It was the same every day until you and Cassandra arrived yesterday." He turned to find Jack gazing at him intently. "What?"

"You're just so amazing. I thought you would try and forget me and start a new life away from the Harkness'. I expected you to be so distraught that you would never want anything to do with me again but you didn't. You stayed strong for me instead of giving in." Jack smiled and gave Ianto a kiss much like the one they had earlier. However, he didn't apologise when he pulled away. "I love you."

Ianto grinned goofily and wiped at the tears that had managed to find their way down his cheeks. "I love you too." Ianto placed his head on Jack's shoulder. He was clearly enjoying every bit of contact they had.

They sat in silence for a while and thought about what the each other had said. Ianto had been right, each man felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off his chest.

Eventually Jack broke the silence. "It's getting cold. Let's go back inside. We should make the most of the quiet house; Amber and Emma are coming home tomorrow and it's been ages since I last saw them. No doubt they'll have loads to tell me."

Ianto nodded. He was looking forward to meeting Jack's cousins. The way Jack and Cassandra spoke about them made them sound just like themselves. Ianto loved the thought of being surrounded by people that accepting and loving.

They both stood up and straightened their clothes. They wandered back through the gardens and into the house feeling much more carefree, happy and finally felt able to move on.

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Please let me know what you think and review! :)


	20. Chapter 20

A loud knock at the door woke Jack and Ianto abruptly. Ianto sat bolt upright in the bed and Jack rolled off the side. A loud thump shocked Ianto who turned to find Jack gone.

"Jack?" Ianto asked and leaned over to where the groaning was coming from.

"Yes?" Jack replied and hauled himself into a sitting position on the floor so Ianto could see his head.

"Are you okay?" Ianto tried to keep the laughter out of his voice as he knew that Jack would be in more pain than when he usually fell out of bed considering his injuries from the Institute.

"I will be. Once I get going." Jack groaned again as he tried to get up. "It's first thing in the morning, all my bones ache and I feel so sensitive to everything. It's like I'm bruised all over but after an hour or so the pain seems to die down. Was that what it was like for you?"

"Sort of." Ianto agreed. "It also hurt at random points during the day and if I over did it."

Jack nodded. He positioned himself on the bed and sighed deeply whilst rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Who was at the door?" Jack asked.

Ianto looked blankly at Jack. He had forgotten about the knock at the door when Jack had fallen out of bed.

"Were we getting breakfast in bed again today?" Ianto thought out loud.

"No, I asked Cassandra to stop the breakfast in bed. It was a lovely thought but it's not nice when you want a lie-in." Jack answered.

"I suppose..." Ianto trailed off as he walked across the room to open the door.

"Good morning Ianto!" Cassandra greeted him cheerfully. "What was that bang?"

"Umm... Jack fell out of bed." Ianto mumbled and Jack scowled at him from his position on the bed. Ianto shrugged his shoulders in reply as Cassandra walked past him and into the room.

Cassandra chuckled and sat on the chair in the corner of the room. Ianto wandered back to his side of the bed and sat down again. Looking at the clock on the bedside cabinet, Ianto decided that 7:30am was too early to be getting out of bed so he pulled the duvet back over him but remained in the sitting position so he could see Cassandra.

A minute of silence passed as Cassandra just watched Jack and Ianto.

"Was there a reason you woke us up Cassandra?" Jack asked. His auntie didn't usually drag things out.

"Amber and Emma are coming home today." Cassandra smiled.

"I know! I can't wait for Ianto to meet them!" Jack gushed. Ianto just smiled; Jack was so fond of his cousins.

Cassandra nodded and her face dropped slightly. "Have you thought about what you're going to do when Linda finds out where you are?"

"I don't really think there's much to think about." Jack said darkly. Ianto grimaced; at any mention of Linda lately, Jack was getting angry and frustrated.

"But what are you going to do if she tries to take you back or tries to hurt you through Ianto again?" Cassandra reasoned and noticed that at the mention of Ianto getting hurt; Jack took hold of Ianto's hand in his and held it tightly. She didn't want to upset or worry Jack but she wanted him to be completely prepared for anything Linda might do.

"Well she can't make me go back and I'm not required to live with her anymore. I have a home here with you and Ianto." Jack shrugged it off. "She fired Ianto so she can't punish or beat him. She would get arrested for assault."

Cassandra nodded thoughtfully. "I suppose you're right. Anyway, I want the pair of you washed and ready by 10 o clock. I want everything to be properly ready for Amber and Emma so that includes you two."

Cassandra stood up and smiled at Jack and Ianto who were still holding hands whilst sitting in their bed.

"You two are so cute together, do you know that?" She said and turned and left the room.

Ianto blushed and looked away from Jack; hoping that he didn't notice. However, Jack had noticed as his eyes hadn't left Ianto's face since before Cassandra left. Choosing not to embarrass him further, Jack climbed off the bed and went to their en-suite bathroom to start running the shower.

Ianto sat quietly; he was still in bed and Jack was returning from the bathroom where he had left the shower running.

"Jack?" Ianto asked as Jack began searching their wardrobe for something to wear.

"Ianto?" Jack replied and glanced over his shoulder to where Ianto was sitting.

"Do you think Amber and Emma will like me?" Ianto asked timidly.

Jack turned and quickly made his way over to the bed and sat down next to Ianto. "Honey, why wouldn't they like you?"

"I don't know, perhaps because I got you sent to the Institute and because loads of people now hate their auntie Linda because I couldn't obey her orders." Ianto admitted why he was worried.

Jack wrapped an arm around Ianto's shoulders and pulled him closer into a reassuring hug. "Ianto, it isn't your fault. My mother is quite capable of making enemy's by herself." Jack pressed a kiss to Ianto's temple. "Now we need to get ready for you to meet the twins. Do you want to first shower?"

Ianto shook his head. "I'm going to pick something to wear. Did you know that Cassandra bought me loads of new clothes? She's so nice. She guessed my size perfectly as well."

Jack chuckled as Ianto quickly became himself again and forgot his worries. "Whatever you pick Ianto, you're going to look beautiful."

Ianto blushed again but Jack didn't choose to ignore it this time.

"You have absolutely no idea how cute you are when you blush." Jack grinned as Ianto's blush deepened and he went into the bathroom to have a shower.

********

"Jack, your cousins have arrived and Cassandra wants you and Ianto downstairs now." Jennifer informed Jack at the door to his and Ianto's bedroom.

"Okay, we'll be down in a minute." Jack nodded and went back into the bathroom to check his hair in the mirror to find Ianto brushing his teeth at the sink.

"They're here." Jack announced and started re-arranging strands of hair.

"Mmm-hmm." Ianto mumbled with his mouth full of toothpaste.

"Are you nervous?" Jack asked.

Ianto started to shake his head but paused and nodded slowly.

"It's okay. If you feel uncomfortable at any time just let me know and we'll make up an excuse to go somewhere else. They'll understand. We just need to explain why we're here and what Linda has done to us. Seriously though Ianto, you don't have to worry; there's nothing about you that people wouldn't like." Jack placed his hand on Ianto's shoulder.

Ianto nodded once and began rinsing his mouth out with water. Once he was finished, he dried his mouth and turned to Jack.

"How do I look?" Ianto asked. Jack could tell that his little speech had made Ianto feel that bit more confident.

"You look gorgeous." Jack said truthfully. He could wear a straw sack and still look gorgeous; he thought and grinned at Ianto.

"Thanks." Ianto beamed at him.

Sighing happily, Jack took Ianto's hand in his own. "Are you ready to meet the rest of my family?"

"I'm as ready as I'm ever going to be." Ianto nodded.

"Let's go for it then." Jack grinned and led Ianto out of the bathroom and downstairs to where Cassandra, Amber and Emma were waiting.

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I hope you enjoyed that chapter, please review!


	21. Chapter 21

Jack walked proudly into the living room. Ianto's hand was firmly clasped in his and he felt secure and happy. There really wasn't anybody else he would rather introduce to his cousins.

Two girls stood before them. They looked identical to the passing person but upon studying them briefly, Ianto noticed that there were many differences between the pair. They hadn't been introduced yet so he was unsure of which one was Amber and which one was Emma but one of the girls had waist length brown hair and the other had slightly shorter also brown hair. Both girls had naturally curly hair and deep brown eyes. Ianto found himself mesmerized by their eyes; they were so different to Jack's blue eyes yet they had many of the same qualities. All three sets of eyes managed to capture him; they were all so open and honest.

Sam had once told him that a person's eyes were the window to their soul. He had never believed him before but now that he could see how pure Jack, Amber and Emma's were, he did. Especially when the person he was comparing them too was cold, cruel and heartless and had piercing eyes. Linda Harkness had eyes that nobody could look into without turning away mere seconds later. They seemed incapable of unconditional love.

Jack wrapped his arm around both cousins as they rushed to hug him. Ianto started to feel uncomfortable as he was interfering with their reunion. He attempted to move away but Jack still had a hold of his hand. He tugged to try and free himself but Jack's hand tightened around his.

"Amber, Emma, I would like you to meet Ianto Jones, my boyfriend." Jack pulled away from his cousins and introduced Ianto. "Ianto, this is Amber." Jack gestured towards the girl with the slightly shorter hair. "And this is Emma." Jack signalled to the other girl.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Ianto." Amber grinned and shook his free hand.

"The pleasure's all mine." Ianto replied and smiled as Amber giggled. Getting introduced as a boyfriend instead of a servant was strange. He didn't feel as if he should be here holding Jack's hand; holding a tray of drinks, maybe, but definitely not his hand.

Emma didn't say anything as she leaned forward to shake Ianto's hand. She merely smiled and went back to standing beside her sister.

"Well I'm glad everybody's finally met each other." Jack smiled around at everyone, his smile faltered slightly as he remembered that he had to tell the twins about why he and Ianto were staying there. "We want to tell you the whole story because we feel that it is your right to know everything so you can judge things in the most un-biased way possible."

"Are you sure you are both up to talking about it? Mam told us about how hard it has been for both of you to deal with." Emma asked. She didn't want either man to break down just so they knew everything.

"I'm prepared to talk about it." Jack confirmed. He looked sideways at Ianto. "Are you okay about it, Yan?"

"Jack, we've already discussed it, I don't think talking about it again is going to make any difference. Besides, once everyone knows we can start trying to forget about it and get on with our lives." Ianto reasoned. He didn't want to look like the only one who couldn't cope with recent events. It would also be the first impression that Amber and Emma would have of him; an incapable servant.

Jack nodded thoughtfully. "We better sit down." Jack gestured towards the biggest sofa and pulled Ianto down next to him as he sat. Amber and Emma sat next to each other and turned to face Jack and Ianto.

"Before you start, does anybody want a drink?" Cassandra asked.

Everybody shook their heads.

"No thanks, I don't think we should have any distractions; this is going to be difficult enough as it is." Jack replied.

"Okay then. I'm going to tell all staff that as long as this door is closed, this room is off limits." Cassandra informed them before she left the room and closed the door with a click behind her.

Jack and Ianto stared blankly at the door as Amber and Emma waiting for one of them to begin.

"Take your time." Emma said sarcastically.

Jack chuckled and looked at her. She always knew how to break the ice.

"Where do we start?" Ianto asked as Jack's laugh died down.

"For the beginning, I suppose." Jack suggested.

"Obviously." Ianto laughed. "But when was the beginning for you?"

Jack sat silently as he thought back to when all this had started.

"I think...the beginning for me was when...you offered me a drink during the first party that you were allowed out of the kitchen....the first time I met you really." Jack answered slowly.

Ianto nodded. "But is that really relevant?"

"Of course it is relevant." Jack replied confidently.

"I think you should just start there then." Amber advised.

Jack looked at Ianto for approval. Ianto nodded. He thought it would be best if Jack started and then he could chip in with information if Jack missed something out.

"When Ianto turned eighteen, he was allowed out of the kitchen to serve drinks at parties." Jack explained. "It was the party to celebrate Cassandra coming to stay that he appeared in front of me and offered me and my mother a drink. I took one and I introduced myself. This party was Ianto's first and he wasn't exactly sure how servants at my mother's house were supposed to act and he offered me his hand to shake as he introduced himself. I think that it was at that moment that everything started. My mother noticed his 'improper' manner and felt enraged that anybody could treat her son like that."

"She did give me a dirty look but I never thought anything of it..." Ianto said, it wasn't really intended for people to hear and he sat quietly as he relived that fateful night in his mind as Jack told their story.

"I got ill the day after. It was nothing serious but the doctor misdiagnosed it and told me to stay in bed for 2 weeks; Yan was made my personal servant, he was the second footman of the Harkness house; it was his job. But I only had a 24 hour bug and I was well again the next day but my mother insisted that she knew best and I should remain in bed for the duration of the two weeks. So Ianto and I got to know each other and our relationship became more than just servant and master. We were good friends and I didn't treat him like a servant. Cassandra noticed something was up and got me alone to question me. I admitted what it was and she encouraged me to talk to him about it."

"I felt the same way and we decided that we both felt strongly enough to try and make this work." Ianto added.

"And with Cassandra helping us, we honestly couldn't see my mother ever having to find out." Jack agreed.

"Until she walked in to see me lying on your bed with no sign of you." Ianto mused.

Jack nodded. They both sat thoughtfully.

"What did she do?" Emma asked.

"She sentenced Ianto to a punishment of seven lashes in front of everybody. I was locked in my room for one night so I couldn't interfere with the punishment." Jack said.

"Do you still have marks, Ianto?" Amber asked. She wanted to see the extent of what Linda had done to her cousin's love.

Ianto nodded and lifted his t-shirt up to reveal a group of nasty looking red slash marks running across his side and round onto his back.

Amber and Emma both inhaled sharply when they saw the marks. "Are you still in pain?" Emma asked.

"Not all the time. It's at its worst first thing on a morning and eventually begins to ease up throughout the day." Ianto answered truthfully.

"Anyway, back to our story." Jack interrupted. He didn't want to dwell on the injuries that he felt responsible for. It didn't matter what Ianto said, he still felt that it was his fault; he made the first move and he went for a walk when Ianto had insisted that he stay in his room. "Ianto came up to see me as soon as he got the chance and I was rubbing some cream into the wounds as he lay on my bed. I was only trying to help him but my mother came in and was livid with the sight before her. She fired Ianto on the spot and took me to the Cardiff Institute the morning after."

"I know roughly what the Cardiff Institute is but what actually happens there?" Amber asked.

Jack paused as he thought about how would be the best way to describe the place that his mother had so willingly sent him. "It's a place where they beat you into a clone of how they want the world to be. They force everybody into being who they want them to be. It's their idea of the 'perfect' person. You're not allowed to be yourself otherwise you will get punished."

A tear fell silently down Emma cheek and Amber gasped in shock. The Institute was an unimaginable place of torture and they were speechless to learn that such a place actually existed.

"Cassandra sent Ianto here and then followed with me not long after. She had planned to reunite us as soon as she heard about what my mother was doing." Jack explained.

"I think that's everything." Ianto concluded.

"Except the fact that my mother still doesn't know that we're here." Jack added.

"What's she going to do when she finds out?" Emma asked.

"I don't know." Jack answered truthfully. "All I know is that I am not going back."


	22. Chapter 22

Sam stood in his now empty room with his suitcase by his side. Everything that had once made the room belong to him...and Ianto...was gone. Both of the beds and the furniture were still there but all his personal possessions were packed into the one suitcase and ready to go in the back of the taxi.

His original plans were to leave at 7pm but due to Linda getting agitated about the postponed wedding, Sam was able to leave in the morning and he was fully ready to go by 9:30am. He had already phone Cassandra to inform her of the early arrival and she arranged for the taxi to pick him up at 10am.

Sam sighed and picked up his suitcase and went in the kitchen to wait for his taxi and say goodbye to his friends for the last time.

"Sam, are you all ready to go?" Mary asked as Sam entered the kitchen.

Sam nodded.

"Well I suppose this is goodbye. I've known you since you first came to work here and I've watched you grow up. Sam, I can honestly say that despite all those tricks you and Ianto used to pull when you were kids, you have grown into a handsome, charming young man. I hope you find happiness wherever you go." Mary said and kissed his forehead. She always acted as a mother to all the servant's. Sam found it reassuring and comforting to think that he still had family.

"I would say that I'm going to miss working here but I'd be lying." Sam admitted. "I am going to miss you, though, Mary. You've been a better mother to me than I could ever hope for. I'll miss all the servant's but I'll always remember you and I'm grateful for everything you've done for me."

Sam hugged Mary briefly and stepped back as he noticed the taxi approaching as he looked out of the kitchen window. An emotional farewell was unlikely amongst the servants as they had all been expected to speak and act formally to one another; it would be a difficult habit to break.

"It looks like my taxi is here. It's a bit early; doesn't matter though, it just means I can get away from Mrs. Harkness quicker." Sam said to Mary as she walked him to the front of the house.

"Bye Sam." Mary whispered. She had a hard time adjusting to Ianto being gone and now Sam was leaving too. It was like losing two sons' in the space of one week.

"Bye." Sam waved as he got into the taxi.

He looked out of the window as the car pulled away and drove out of the Harkness grounds. He hadn't expected to feel anything as he looked back on the house so he was surprised to find that he did feel a twinge of sadness in the pit of his stomach as the house disappeared from view. It had been his home for thirteen years. The only family he had ever really known were the servants. However, the twinge of sadness wasn't one that he was going to feel threatened by and consider going back. It was time he moved on with his life and left all the bad things behind. Yes, he did have some good memories there but the bad ones overruled the good by far. It would be much better to get out whilst he still could.

Sam smiled to himself as the journey to Cassandra's house...his new home...began.

********

"Jack! Are you almost done in there?" Ianto called through the bathroom door.

"Ianto, there's no need to shout, I'm over here." Jack laughed as he walked into his and Ianto's bedroom from the hallway.

"Jack? Weren't you in the bathroom?" Ianto pointed to the bathroom in confusion.

"I was but then I went downstairs to get us some breakfast." Jack placed a tray on the bedside cabinet and proceeded to eat the contents off one of the plates. "We missed breakfast but I managed to get Jennifer to make us some toast while I made us some coffee."

Ianto made a face at the fact that Jack had made their coffee. "Jack, have you ever actually made coffee before?"

"Yes...well, no but it wasn't that difficult. I reckon I did a pretty good job." Jack reasoned as he picked up one of the mugs and took a sip. This time it was Jack's turn to pull a face. "Actually, I think we should just stick to the toast. I'm not really thirsty anyway."

"I'll have my breakfast when I finish getting ready." Ianto decided and started heading towards the bathroom.

"Okay. Cassandra said she has another surprise for us...well, mainly you but she said I would enjoy it as well." Jack shouted through to Ianto.

"Really? I wonder what it is." Ianto mused aloud.

"I haven't got a clue." Jack mumbled to himself. Jack sat quietly and ate his breakfast whilst waiting for Ianto to finish getting ready in the bathroom. It was weird waking up with Ianto every morning. It was something he had never expected to do but it was a good weird and a weird that he never wanted to end.

After another ten minutes Ianto finally emerged from the bathroom. Jack gazed at him and thought to himself about how amazing Ianto looked on a morning...and on an evening...and during the day...in fact, he looked amazing all the time.

Jack grimaced as he remembered the scars on both of their bodies and shook his head slightly to rid himself of the image.

"What's wrong?" Ianto asked, noticing Jack's sudden mood change.

"There's nothing wrong." Jack casually dismissed the question. "I'm just wondering what Cassandra has planned."

"Well it'll obviously be something good. Cassandra wouldn't let us down." Ianto said as he picked up the plate of cold toast and started eating. "Did she say what time she wanted us by?"

Jack thought back to when he had spoken to Cassandra this morning. "No, I don't think so. She'll probably send somebody to inform us when she's ready."

"Hmm." Ianto replied and turned his attention back to his breakfast.

********

"Do you need any help taking your suitcase up to the house?" The driver asked as Sam climbed out of the car.

"No thanks." Sam replied and paid the driver before going round the back of the car to gather his belongings from the car boot.

Once the car had pulled away and was out of sight, Sam turned to face the house before him. He had expected it to look much like it did but he was surprised to not see any servant's outside taking care of the garden.

He approached the door much the same as Ianto had when he had first arrived and knocked firmly on the door.

It took a few moments before anybody answered it. It was a woman who opened the door and she looked down at Sam's suitcase and instantly stepped aside to let him in.

"I take it you're Sam Thompson?" The servant asked.

"Yes miss." Sam replied formally. He didn't want to get off on the wrong foot and as he wasn't sure of the rules here yet, he figured it was best it he played it safe.

The servant smiled at his manners. "I'm Jennifer." She held out a hand to Sam and he shook it. "You're not required to use such formal language in Cassandra's house, Sam." She joked in a posh accent.

"Sorry, I just wasn't too sure about what you expected and I just thought..." Sam tried to explain.

"It's okay." Jennifer cut him off. "So, did Cassandra tell you that she's kept your arrival a secret from Jack and Ianto?"

"Yes. Are we going to see them straight away?" Sam asked. He was eager to see his best friend again.

"Not straight away. Cassandra wants you to meet the other servant's first and show you your room where you can unpack and then when you are completely ready I am to inform Jack and Ianto that their surprise is ready and lead them to the living room where you will already be waiting for them. Whatever happens after that is up to the three of you." Jennifer explained as she led the way through the house.

"Sounds like you have it all planned." Sam stated.

"You have no idea." Jennifer giggled and walked into a room where Cassandra was waiting for them.

"Sam! My darling, you're finally here! Did you have an okay last week? Was the journey here alright?" Cassandra jumped up from her seat and rushed to hug Sam.

"Yeah, everything was fine." Sam managed to gasp as Cassandra was squeezing him too tight.

"Good. Now I would love to sit and chat with you but I'm afraid that Jack or Ianto might come down and see you. I don't want the surprise ruined." Cassandra looked towards the door nervously. "Jennifer will show you to your room and where she will be when you're finished. This is going to be so great!"

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I'd just like to say thanks to unidentified99 for the help and support she gave me :) Thank you!

Also, please don't forget to review! They make me write more! :) Thanks!


	23. Chapter 23

"Jack!" Jennifer called through Jack and Ianto's door after knocking once.

She heard footsteps approaching and Jack opened the door.

"Yes?" Jack grinned.

"Cassandra sent me up to tell you that the surprise is ready." Jennifer smiled back as she broke the news.

"Oh right. Ianto! Cassandra wants us downstairs now. Are you ready?" Jack turned asked Ianto.

"Yeah," Ianto quickly jumped from the seat he was sitting in and followed Jack out of the room. "I wonder what it is..."

"We'll find out in a minute." Jack told him as he took his hand in his own.

Ianto smiled at the gesture. It was clear that Jack didn't have to think about linking his and Ianto's hand; it was automatic. It was almost as if Jack didn't feel right if there wasn't any contact between them, Ianto thought to himself. He had no idea how right he actually was.

Jennifer led them downstairs and to the living room door. Stopping, she turned to Jack and Ianto.

"I need go in first to let Cassandra know you two are ready and then I'll let you know when you came come in." Jennifer explained.

Jack and Ianto nodded eagerly. Jennifer chuckled slightly; they were like two excited children on Christmas morning.

Jennifer opened the door just enough for her to squeeze through and clicked it shut again after her.

Mumbled voices could be heard from inside as Jack and Ianto waited impatiently outside.

"What are they saying?" Jack whispered and moved closer to the door so he could try and hear better.

"I don't know." Ianto replied and pressed an ear gently to the door. "Who's in there?"

"Just Cassandra and Jennifer, I think." Jack murmured.

"That doesn't sound like a woman's voice." Ianto stated. "But I can't tell who it is. I can't hear it properly."

Ianto pulled away abruptly and dragged Jack with him as he heard footsteps approaching the door.

Sure enough, the door reopened and Jennifer squeezed back out.

"Cassandra says you can go in now." She smiled and left them alone to carry on with her duties.

Jack looked at Ianto; both men desperately wanted to know what Cassandra had planned but neither man wanted to go in first.

After a few moments of staring at each other, Jack placed his hand on the door handle and pushed the door open. He then pulled Ianto alongside him so they entered the room together.

Ianto immediately looked at Cassandra. She merely smiled at him and remained silent.

Jack inhaled sharply as he noticed the other person in the room. At the sudden noise, Ianto turned to Jack, confused.

"What?" Ianto asked when Jack didn't move.

Jack rolled his eyes at how slow Ianto was being.

Ianto shook his head to show that he still didn't get it.

"Ianto." A familiar voice said from the other side of the room.

Ianto froze. He recognized that voice but it was something that he had never expected to hear ever again.

"Sam?" Ianto breathed as he turned away from Jack. He grinned wildly as he suddenly came face to face with his best friend of 13 years.

"Hi Yan." Sam laughed as Ianto threw his arms around him.

"Sam! What are you doing here?" Ianto asked. He pulled away and held Sam by the shoulders so he could survey him; he had given up hope of ever seeing him again and now he was here, standing right in front of him.

"Cassandra offered me a job and a new home and I would have been stupid to choose Linda over Cassandra...no offence, Jack." Sam looked around Ianto to Jack who was standing next to Cassandra, smiling at Ianto's reaction.

"None taken, I took the first chance I had to get away from her as well." Jack replied. "Are you really okay with taking all three of us in?"

Cassandra nodded. "Jack, you're my nephew. I would do anything to make you happy and I have actually grown quite attached to Ianto and Sam too. All three of you boys are like the sons I never had."

Ianto finally let go of Sam and walked over to Cassandra.

"Thank you, Cassandra." Ianto said.

"It is okay, Ianto. It was no trouble at all." She waved it away.

Ianto shook his head. "You don't understand just how amazing this is for me. I couldn't even begin to thank you enough."

Ianto wrapped his arms around Cassandra and hugged her appreciatively.

"So I take it that both of you are incredibly pleased with your surprise?" Cassandra asked as Ianto pulled away.

Ianto nodded eagerly as he went back to Jack's side.

"Good." Cassandra smiled. "I'll leave the three of you to catch up then."

Cassandra left the room and Sam looked from Jack to Ianto and back again.

"So..." Sam said. "How are you both?"

"We're doing really well." Jack answered. Sam knew about all the depressing things that he and Ianto had been through so he thought it unnecessary to bring them back up. "Cassandra has seriously came through for all of us."

"Yeah." Sam smiled; he felt like he owed Cassandra big time for all that she's done for him but he knew that she would disagree. He looked down briefly at Jack and Ianto's interlaced fingers. "I take it there were no second thoughts or insecurities?" He gestured to their hands.

Jack chuckled slightly and Ianto blushed. He still wasn't used to showing his affection for Jack; even if it was just a simple gesture such as holding his hand.

"Not one regret." Jack agreed. "Ianto is the best thing that happened to me."

Ianto's blush deepened and Jack laughed a little harder.

"I'm really happy for both of you." Sam said sincerely.

"Thanks." Ianto muttered. He was still trying to recover from his embarrassment. "Anyways, how did you get out of working for Linda?"

Sam grinned. "It was easier than you'd think. I literally just quit."

"Seriously?" Jack's jaw fell open. Nobody had 'just quit' in his entire life. Why had his mother just let Sam go?

"Yeah, I'm guessing that she was preoccupied with all the drama that you and Ianto had caused and she couldn't be bothered to deal with me like she usually would have." Sam shrugged his shoulders.

Jack nodded thoughtfully; it did seem like a possible explanation. Still, it was almost a week since he had left the Institute and it was only a matter of time before Linda found out he was gone.

"Did she ever say anything about me after I left?" Jack asked.

"No, she still thinks you're in the Institute." Sam answered truthfully. "But she did say that she was going to visit you on Sunday."

Jack's face fell as he realised that the passionate fit of fury was only days away.

"Jack, don't worry about it." Ianto rubbed his hand up and down Jack's arm to try and soothe his panic. "We're a united front and stronger than your mother thinks. We'll get through it together; she'll just be a small obstacle in our path."

Jack nodded and forced a smile. If only it was that easy.

* * *

Thanks for all the reviews! I love to hear what people think so keep them coming please! :)


	24. Chapter 24

"Mary, I expect to be out at dinner time so I do not wish for you to serve anything until I tell you to, okay?" Linda explained to Mary as she put her coat and shoes on.

"I understand, Mrs. Harkness." Mary nodded and returned to her other duties.

It was Sunday morning and Linda Harkness was on her way out to visit Jack in the Cardiff Institute.

"Paul, are you coming to visit our son too?" Linda asked as Paul watched her prepare to leave.

Paul looked blankly at her for a moment and nodded abruptly and proceeded to get ready to leave as soon as possible.

"Good. He might co-operate better if he knows that we both want him back." Linda smiled. She was convinced that she and Paul were Jack's priority.

Paul said nothing; he rarely did and on those rare occasions, it was merely a grunt or a short mumbled sentence with most of the words merged together. Even though his father never spoke, Jack could hear exactly what he saying just as clear as when his mother spoke to him. However, Jack heard what they said but not often did he understand them. The reasoning behind their actions went straight over his head and he had since tried to understand them but he couldn't see where they were coming from; it didn't matter now anyway, he didn't think of himself as their son.

Once Paul and Linda were ready, they climbed into their car and told the personal driver to take them to the Cardiff Institute.

********

Linda glanced around quickly in case there was anybody she knew watching her as she climbed out of the car and walked hurriedly into the Institute's reception area.

"Hello, how may I help you?" The receptionist asked as Linda and Paul approached the desk.

"I am here to visit my son." Linda stated.

"I'm sorry but visiting hours are between 5pm and 7pm only." The woman behind the desk answered.

"I know but we may be discharging our son today. It all depends on how he well his is now and we need to see him to know the answer to that." Linda explained.

"I still cannot let you visit your son." The woman remained firm.

"Would this change your mind?" Paul muttered and slipped a bundle of notes over the desk and into the receptionist's hand.

"Erm...I don't think I should." The woman stammered and shuffled the money between her fingers casually as she mentally added up just how much Paul had given her. She looked up and smiled. "I think we can arrange a short visit."

"Thank you." Linda smiled and Paul went back to being his silent self.

"I just need your son's name and I will then take you to the visiting room and bring your son to you." The receptionist explained as she pulled a folder out from beneath the desk.

"His name is Jack Harkness." Linda said.

The woman nodded and started leafing through the folder until she reached the section marked "H". She placed a finger on the page and slowly made her way down until she stopped at Jack's name.

"Hmm." She murmured to herself.

Linda looked towards Paul who just stared blankly back at her. Turning back to the receptionist, she asked, "Is there something wrong?"

"It seems that Jack was checked out last Sunday." The woman looked up from the folder as she answered Linda's question.

"Excuse me?" Linda asked, confused.

"Your son, Jack Harkness, was discharged from the Cardiff Institute last Sunday." The receptionist repeated, a little slower this time.

"I heard you the first time!" Linda snapped and closed her eyes as she took a deep breath to calm herself down. "I would like to know who discharged him."

"Jack Harkness was discharged by Miss Cassandra..." The receptionist was cut off by Linda.

"Cassandra?" Linda half shouted.

"Yes." The woman nodded and looked at Paul warily; she was afraid that he would get as mad as his wife.

"I do not believe this!" Linda spun around and stormed out of the Institute and climbed into the back of the car with Paul following her.

"Cassandra left our house last Sunday and came straight here to discharge Jack. After all we have done for her and she goes behind our back like this! She must have been planning this." Linda fumed in the backseat.

Paul sat quietly and watched as his wife rambled on about how Cassandra has betrayed her and her trust.

Eventually Linda appeared calm and had stopped rambling to look out of the window for the rest of the journey home.

********

Linda handed her coat to one of the servant's for them to hang up and walked quickly into the living area. Paul followed yet again and sat down next to her on the sofa.

"You know what I am going to do?" Linda asked.

"What?" Paul replied quietly.

"I am going to give Jack a week to see sense." Linda nodded her head at her plan.

"And what if he does not see sense?" Paul asked.

"I am going to go to Cassandra's house and get our son back." Linda decided.

"What will you do if he refuses to come home?" Paul asked.

Linda spun to face Paul and scowled. "Why are you being so pessimistic?" Paul shrugged. "I do not know what I will do if he refuses to come home." Linda admitted. She sighed quietly; it was clear that Paul was sort of hoping that Jack would not come home.

"If he does not come home, I do not want anything more to do with him." Paul confessed.

"I figured as much." Linda nodded slightly. "I know he has been a disappointment but we put all that work into raising him and I feel let down that he would do something like this to us but can you at least think of how I feel about all this?" Paul nodded. "If he does not come home, our family name will be torn to shreds and I do not think I could handle that."

Paul nodded again. He could emphasise with Linda on this as neither were particularly bothered about their son; only the fact that their precious name was getting soiled.

********

Jack sat on the edge of his and Ianto's bed with his face buried in his hands. His mother was going to the Institute to visit him today. His imagination was working overtime as he thought of all the different ways that she could handle the situation.

Ianto came into the room. He had went downstairs for a drink and had gotten a little distracted when he seen Sam and the short journey ended up lasting half an hour.

Looking at Jack's figure sitting on the edge of the bed, Ianto sighed. He went over, sat down and wrapped a comforting arm around Jack's shoulders.

"It's going to be alright, Jack." Ianto said reassuringly.

"How do you know that, Yan?" Jack asked.

Ianto thought for a moment. "I just do." He replied simply and when Jack looked up confused, he decided that he better elaborate. "We have already made it this far, right?"

"Right..."Jack trailed off, still uncertain about where this was heading.

"Linda cannot make you go home, right?" Ianto explained.

"Right..." Jack said again.

"So you just have to stand up to her one time and then she'll be gone, forever. If that's what you want." Ianto finished.

"It is what I want but I don't know if I can do it." Jack admitted.

"You can." Ianto said and when Jack looked at him questioningly again, he sighed. "I know you can. You'll have me, Cassandra, Sam, the twins and all the rest of this house backing you up. You will be able to stand up to her, Jack. Trust me. You might not even have to, she might leave you alone." Jack nodded thoughtfully.

"You know what I need to do now, don't you?" Jack asked.

"What?" Ianto replied.

"Grow a backbone." Jack answered.

Ianto chuckled to himself and stood up. "Do you want to go for a walk in the garden? It's a lovely day." Jack nodded. He stood up next to Ianto and took his hand in his like they had been doing all week. "There's also something I want to tell you about Sam but you can't tell anyone, okay?"

"Okay." Jack agreed and they headed outside together to discuss the upcoming week and Sam.

* * *

I just want to say thanks again for all the reviews! :) I really appreciate them so keep them coming! Thanks!


	25. Chapter 25

Jack and Ianto were sitting on a bench by the pond in the garden. It was the most peaceful part of the garden and it helped to calm Jack down about Linda.

"So what do you want to tell me about Sam?" Jack asked.

A smile spread across Ianto's face. "He's been spending quite a lot of time with Emma."

Jack looked confused. "So?"

Ianto sighed dramatically, "I think he likes her."

Jack suddenly realised what Ianto was trying to say. "Sam likes Emma?"

Ianto nodded.

"Does Emma like him?" Jack asked.

"I don't know." Ianto shrugged. "He doesn't even know. I told him that he should just talk to her, but he's convinced that it will end badly."

Jack thought about it for a moment. It was quite similar to the situation that he and Ianto had been in a few weeks ago.

"Why don't I talk to Emma?" Jack suggested.

Ianto nodded slowly as he considered the idea. "I suppose that could work. I mean, you are her cousin, and it'll be easier for you to talk to her...and it'll put Sam out of his misery."

"Exactly." Jack smiled.

Ianto frowned. "Are you going to talk to her now?"

"No, why?" Jack asked; he was completely perplexed by Ianto's sudden change in mood.

"I just..." Ianto trailed off.

"Come on Ianto, what is it?" Jack asked again.

"I just want to sit here with you for a little while longer." Ianto admitted.

Jack grinned as Ianto blushed. His cheeks went a cute shade of red when he was embarrassed and Jack loved it.

"It's alright; I wanted to stay here longer too." Jack reassured Ianto and wrapped a strong arm around his shoulders so he could hug Ianto closer.

********

A little over an hour passed and Jack and Ianto still sat on the bench next to the pond.

Jack sighed as he felt the first few drops of rain land on his face. He didn't think too much of it to start with; he hoped it would blow over but it continued to get heavier.

"I think we should go back inside now, Jack." Ianto said and stood up.

Jack nodded and got up reluctantly.

"I'm actually quite hungry, what time is it?" Ianto asked as they made their way up to the house in the rain.

"It's 5:30pm. I'm hungry too." Jack answered after checking his pocket watch. "I think we've missed the afternoon meal."

"Yeah." Ianto agreed. "I could make us something."

"Are you sure?" Jack raised his eyebrow at Ianto.

"Yeah, I can cook. I used to have to cook the meals before I turned 18." Ianto informed him.

Jack nodded his head as he thought to himself. They eventually reached the house and hurried through the door and into the warm, dry hallway.

"I want to help." Jack said suddenly as he took his shoes off.

Ianto immediately burst out laughing. "Jack, have you ever even been in a kitchen before?"

"No but how hard could it be?" Jack replied. "You can't stop me from helping."

"I wasn't going to." Ianto smiled. "This is going to be fun..."

Ianto continued to laugh as he led Jack to the kitchen.

"Okay then, what do we do first?" Jack asked as he observed the kitchen.

"Well, what do you want to eat?" Ianto asked.

"I think you should choose." Jack replied.

"Fine, egg and chips?" Ianto said as he looked through the cupboards to see what utensils were available to him.

"Sure." Jack smiled and looked over Ianto's shoulder as he removed a frying pan from a cupboard.

Ianto began getting the eggs out of the fridge when he stopped suddenly. He turned to Jack. "Actually, why don't we bake a cake?"

"You know how to bake a cake?" Jack asked with an eyebrow raised.

Ianto blushed again. "Mary used to bake one with me and Sam every Sunday afternoon."

Jack smiled at Ianto's confession. Even though they had technically lived together for the past 13 years, Jack had no idea what Ianto looked like as a child but he had no problem imagining the scene of Ianto, Sam and his former head servant Mary baking a cake.

"My mother never did anything like that with me." Jack frowned as he tried to think back.

"That really doesn't surprise me." Ianto said. "Come on, we'll make a cake for Cassandra; sort of as a little thank you gift and then we'll have egg and chips."

Jack nodded and grinned like a child and Ianto chuckled. It really was going to be a fun evening.

********

Ianto looked up from where he was cracking an egg into a bowl to check on Jack who had insisted on measuring the flour.

"Jack, what are you doing?" Ianto laughed.

"I'm measuring out the flour." Jack replied and continued to pour the flour onto the scales without the dish.

"Would you like this?" Ianto asked and held out the dish for the scales.

Jack looked from the pile of flour that was slowly flowing onto the bench to the bowl and back again.

"Yes please." He sighed and started scooping up the flour from the bench and spooning it back into the bag. He looked up at Ianto, defeated. "I can't do it."

"Neither could I when I first tried." Ianto admitted. "You should have seen me and Sam. We were a complete mess." Jack raised an eyebrow to signal that he wanted Ianto to expand on what he meant by 'mess'. "We had flour in our hair and we dropped multiple eggs on the floor before we managed to break one in the bowl. Even then it had loads of little bits of shell mixed in but that was expected because it was all new to us."

A smile spread across Jack's face and Ianto was instantly suspicious.

"What are you smiling at?" He said.

"You had flour in your hair?" Jack asked.

"Yes." Ianto replied slowly.

"Like this?" Jack asked and grabbed a handful of flour from the bag and threw it over Ianto.

Ianto shouted and tried to dodge the flour but failed. He stood spluttering and tried desperately to brush the flour out of his hair.

Jack's laugh boomed in the kitchen and was only interrupted by Ianto's complaints about how he would need another shower after they'd ate.

A distressed looking Carys rushed into the kitchen. "What's going on?"

The shock seeped from her face as she surveyed the scene before her. Ianto's usual brown hair had been turned white with flour and Jack's face was slightly blotchy from the tears of laughter and the kitchen was a complete mess.

"Actually, I don't think I want to know." Carys waved a hand to dismiss the scene, turned and left the room.

Jack's laughter was restarted by Carys' reaction and Ianto found himself joining in.

After five minutes, both men were clutching their sides as their laughter died down.

Jack watched intently as Ianto regained his usual posture. He was staring back and the look in his eyes told Jack that he loved him.

Ianto quickly closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around Jack; he held him tight and let his head lie on Jack's should for a minute before he pulled away ever so slightly.

Jack looked directly into Ianto's eyes before he leaned forward and captured his love's lips in a sweet kiss. Ianto returned the kiss immediately and everything felt natural despite the fact that neither of them had done this very often.

Jack's arms enveloped Ianto as they deepened the kiss.

Ianto pulled away reluctantly to take a deep breath. He had never dared imagine himself kissing Jack that way in the kitchen where anybody could see them but he found that it didn't worry him as much as he had expected. He would definitely have felt differently if it had been in Linda Harkness' kitchen.

Ianto smiled at Jack and placed one more kiss on his lips before pulling away completely and turned back to the start of their cake.

"We better get going if we want to give this to Cassandra before bed." Ianto stated and began to read out the instructions to Jack once more.

* * *

Sorry this chapter took so long. But it's here now and I hope everyone enjoyed it :) Don't forget to review please! :)


	26. Chapter 26

"Emma, could I talk to you in private please?" Jack asked quietly.

"Yeah, what's up?" Emma followed Jack into the empty living room.

"I just want to talk to you about..." Jack started.

"Jack, do is that flour on your shirt?" Emma interrupted and started brushing Jack's shoulder with her hand.

"Erm...yes it is..." Jack mumbled and tried to wipe it away quickly as his cheeks turned slightly red.

"Why do you have flour on your shirt?" She asked.

"Well Ianto..." Jack began to explain.

"Okay, I think I get it. Now, what is it you wanted to talk to me about?" Emma sat back and patiently waited for Jack to tell her.

"Sam." Jack stated.

"What about him?" She asked, slightly confused at why her cousin would want to talk to her in private about Sam.

Jack paused for a moment and tried to figure out the best way to phrase what he was about to tell her and decided that trying to edge around it or hint subtly would be a bad idea.

"He likes you." He blurted out and instantly regretted saying it like that when Emma's face froze in shock.

"He...likes...me." Emma repeated slowly.

"Yep." Jack nodded his head and watched carefully for any other reaction that Emma might give.

"Are you sure? How do you know?" Emma gushed and Jack had to stifle a giggle as the corners of her mouth began to turn up in a smile.

"I'm sure and Ianto has been his best friend since they were five and he told me about it." Jack answered and waited for more questions that would undoubtedly sprout from Emma's mouth.

Emma thought to herself, grinning and then turned back to Jack. "So, is he going to do anything?"

Jack shook his head and Emma's face fell.

"He doesn't want to make a move because he's afraid that he'll make everything awkward and ruin what he has here." Jack gestured to the house that was so much better than Linda Harkness'.

"Oh." Emma muttered and slumped in her seat.

Jack noticed the disappointment and quickly attempted to fix it.

"He would make a move if he knew that you felt the same way. Do you feel the same way?" Jack explained.

"Yes but how would he know I feel the same way. I am certainly not telling him how I feel. What if there's a chance that Ianto is wrong and he doesn't actually like me?"

Jack dismissed this with a wave of his hand.

"Ianto can slip it into the conversation, just like how I 'slipped' it into our conversation." Jack grinned at his plan to set up his cousin and his boyfriend's best friend.

"Do you think it's a good idea?" Emma asked uncertainly.

Jack nodded. "Yes. It's always worth taking the chance. Look at me and Ianto; if Cassandra hadn't encouraged me to speak to Ianto about how I felt, we'd both still be living in the hell hole that is my mother's house and denying ourselves of being our own person."

"You're right; can you get Ianto to talk to Sam tomorrow?" Emma asked and stood up.

"Yeah, Ianto's just finishing tidying our mess up in the kitchen and then we're off to bed." Jack said.

"Actually, I'm curious. What were you and Ianto doing in the kitchen and how have you got flour on you?" Emma asked and raised an eyebrow.

"Well he suggested that we make a cake for Cassandra as a little thank you for everything that she's done for us." Jack explained and grinned.

"So how did you get flour on you?" Emma asked again.

"I threw a handful of flour at Ianto and I guess I must have dropped some on myself." Jack chuckled at the memory of their little 'food fight' earlier.

"I would have loved to see that." Emma laughed. "You promise that you'll get Ianto to talk to Sam in the morning?"

"I promise." Jack nodded.

"Thanks Jack. I'm going to bed now, good night." Emma gave Jack a hug and a quick kiss on the cheek before heading up to bed.

"Good night." Jack called after her and returned to the kitchen to help Ianto with the cleaning.

********

"The cake turned out really well, don't you think?" Ianto commented as he climbed into bed.

"Mm-hmm." Jack agreed as he emerged from the bathroom after brushing his teeth and slid into his side of the bed.

Jack waited until Ianto had gotten comfortable before scooting over and wrapping an arm around him protectively.

Ianto sighed contentedly and wriggled closer to Jack.

"Did you talk to Emma?" He asked sleepily.

"Yeah, she would like you to talk to Sam tomorrow morning for her. She feels the same way." Jack mumbled.

"That's good. It will be nice for Sam to have some happiness of his own." Ianto replied.

"Good night, Yan." Jack leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Ianto's cheek.

"Good night, Jack." Ianto barely whispered before he and Jack feel into a deep sleep.

********

Jack rolled over sleepily and stretched an arm out across Ianto's side of the bed. He was about to fall back asleep when he realised that Ianto wasn't lying next to him.

"Ianto?" Jack asked as he sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

Looking around, he noticed a piece of paper on Ianto's pillow. Jack picked it up and read it through once.

Jack,

I've gone to talk to Sam before he starts his duties for the day. Didn't wake you because you looked peaceful and you seemed really tired last night so I thought it'd be best for you to get a bit more sleep.

Be back soon,

Ianto

XX

Jack smiled to himself and set the note down on his bedside table. He planned on getting ready before Ianto got back and then they could go and relax again in the garden.

Jack enjoyed spending most of his time with Ianto but he knew that every day wouldn't be like they are now; Ianto would eventually have to start working for Cassandra. Maybe she would allow him to work different hours to the other servants so that Jack could still wake up to Ianto's body lying next to his every morning instead of a short letter on his pillow and cold sheets. Jack made a mental note to himself to talk to Cassandra about it later.

Jack padded into the bathroom and got ready to take a shower. He wrapped the towel around his waist as he waited for the water to heat up.

As he waited he heard the door into their bedroom open and click shut again.

"Jack?" Ianto called.

"I'm in the bathroom." Jack shouted back and tested the heat of the shower with his hand before hanging to towel on the towel rail and climbing into the shower; behind the dark blue curtain and into the cascade of warm water. He heard Ianto approach the door and knock lightly.

"Can I come in?" He asked.

"Of course." Jack smiled at Ianto's politeness.

Ianto entered the bathroom and closed the door behind him. Jack heard him put the toilet seat down and guessed that he had sat on top of it so he could talk to Jack.

"I talked to Sam." He said simply.

"What did he say?" Jack asked.

"He is going to ask Emma out on a date." Ianto replied.

"That's great. Is he nervous?" Jack started washing his hair.

"He's really nervous." Ianto chuckled.

"So when is he going to ask her?" Jack raised his eyebrows and laughed to himself as he realised that Ianto couldn't see him.

"I'm not sure, he said that he's only working until noon today so he's going to try and talk to her alone but whether he actually does it or not..." Ianto trailed off.

"I suppose so. I hope he does ask her, she really likes him." Jack replied.

"Hmm." Ianto agreed. Jack heard the sound of Ianto shuffling across the room. "I'm going to get us some breakfast while you finish getting ready."

"Okay." Jack said and carried on rinsing the shampoo off his head as he heard the door click closed again.

The room suddenly felt very empty without Ianto there.

* * *

Hope everybody enjoy that chapter :) Please review! :)


	27. Chapter 27

Sam stood at the kitchen door and tried to calm himself before going to talk to Emma. His hands were shaking and slightly sweaty. He took a deep breath and found that this only calmed him for a moment and he was back to his scared self almost straight away.

"Come on, Sam. What's the worst that could happen?" He mumbled to himself. Sam took a final deep breath, pushed the door open and walked into the main section of the house to find Emma.

After quickly looking in a few rooms, Sam finally found Emma in the living room reading a book.

Sam coughed to clear his throat. "Emma?"

"Good morning, Sam." Emma smiled up at him from the sofa and put her book down. Patting the sofa beside her, she signalled for Sam to sit down.

He sat down slowly and turned to face Emma.

"Emma?" He repeated himself.

"You just said that." Emma laughed.

"Did I?" Sam laughed nervously. This was harder than he thought.

"So, was there anything in particular that you wanted me for?" Emma asked innocently. She knew that he liked her and was hoping that this was what he was going to talk to her about but he looked really nervous and Emma was afraid that he would change his mind and not ask her out.

"Yes." Sam choked out. "Will you...I mean...Would you..." He sighed. "Do you want to go out ...erm...to dinner with me some time?"

Emma's face lit up but Sam didn't notice as he was too preoccupied with trying to brace himself against her rejection.

"Yeah, that'd be great." Emma grinned and Sam's jaw dropped. "What's wrong?"

Sam quickly closed his mouth and shook his head. "Nothing. I have Friday off work; would you like to go out then?"

Emma nodded. "Friday's good."

"Great. I'll see you then...and before then..." Sam furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

Emma giggled. "See you later, Sam."

Sam nodded and left the room before he made any more blunders.

********

Ianto leaned over and put his and Jack's empty plates back on the tray on the bedside cabinet.

"You know we should really wake up in time for breakfast and eat with Cassandra and the twins." Ianto voiced.

"Yeah." Jack agreed. "Do you want to eat with everybody tomorrow morning?"

Ianto nodded his head and leaned over the bed once again. He pressed a kiss to Jack's cheek.

"So, what are we going to do today?" Ianto asked as Jack swallowed the rest of his orange juice.

"What do you want to do?" Jack returned the question.

Ianto shrugged his shoulders. He really felt like he should start working for Cassandra and earning his keep in her house but it didn't really feel right to tear himself away from Jack so soon.

"Well we can't go lounge in the garden." Jack ruled that option out.

Ianto's eyebrows furrowed in confused. "Why?"

"It's raining." Jack grinned as Ianto looked towards the window and realised that it was actually raining.

"Does Cassandra have any pictures of when you were younger?" Ianto asked innocently.

"Probably. Why?" Jack wondered why Ianto would want to see pictures of him when he was a child.

"Surely you know that every new boyfriend...or girlfriend...gets to see pictures of their partner as a child and then laugh at them about how they looked." Ianto giggled.

"Oh yeah, how could I forget that? Do I get to see pictures of you?" Jack asked.

"I don't have any." Ianto replied. "Somehow I can't see Linda wanting to take a photo to remember what the little servant boy looked like."

"Okay, I'll go and ask Cassandra for her photo albums." Jack climbed off the bed and grabbed the breakfast dishes to take with him.

Ianto grinned as he watched Jack leave the room.

********

"Good morning, Cassandra!" Jack called through into the living room where he spotted Cassandra sitting on his way to the kitchen.

"Hi Jack!" Cassandra shouted back. She watched the door for when Jack came back.

After a minute, Jack returned and entered the living room. He beamed a smile at Cassandra and sat down next to her.

"Did you enjoy your breakfast?" She asked.

"Yeah, it was great." Jack nodded. "Cassandra, I have a few questions about when Ianto starts working for you."

Cassandra nodded slowly. "Fire away."

"Does he have to be up early like all the other servant's or will I still be able to wake up with him on a morning?" Jack asked.

"I have been thinking about this a lot as well, Jack." Cassandra replied. "I have decided that Ianto will not be a proper servant like Jennifer, Carys and Malachy but he will still be helping them with their jobs."

Jack thought about what Cassandra had just said. "So Ianto will only be working part time?"

"Yes. We'll sort everything out later. I think Ianto could do with a couple more weeks of no work." Cassandra agreed.

Jack smiled at how understanding his auntie was.

"Thanks Cassandra. I can't wait to tell him." Jack hugged Cassandra and then stood up to leave. He sat back down almost instantly as he remembered that he had something else to ask. "I have one more question."

Cassandra nodded and signalled for him to continue.

"Well, it's Ianto's question really." Jack blushed slightly. "Do you have any pictures of me as a child?"

Cassandra laughed and nodded. "There are some of you in the photo albums in that drawer over there."

She pointed to the drawer at the other side of the room and Jack went over and took out 3 photo albums.

"Why does Ianto want pictures of you as a child?" Cassandra wondered what Ianto was up to.

"He said that as he is my boyfriend he needs to see pictures of me from my childhood so he can laugh at me."

Cassandra chuckled slightly at the boy's motives. "I agree."

"Thanks for the photos and everything." Jack pressed a quick kiss to Cassandra's cheek and walked quickly out of the room and back up to his and Ianto's bedroom.

* * *

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	28. Chapter 28

Sam stood before the long mirror in his bedroom and straightened his suit out. It wasn't a really expensive suit but it looked good and he wanted to look at least decent for his date with Emma.

Making a mental note to thank Cassandra for the new clothes in his wardrobe, Sam gave himself a quick once over to assure that he looked presentable. He gave a quick nod of approval at his reflection and took a deep breath before going to wait for Emma on the front steps.

Sam felt so nervous that he feared that he wouldn't be able to go through with the date. He was just walking down the corridor towards the front door when Ianto appeared at the top of the stairs.

"Hi Sam." Ianto grinned and quickly made his way down to where Sam stood shaking.

"Hi Ianto." Sam flashed a trembling smile.

"Are you going on your date with Emma tonight?" Ianto asked. He couldn't believe it was Friday already, the week had passed by so quickly.

Sam nodded.

"Are you okay?" Ianto raised an eyebrow as he surveyed the nervous wreck that was his best friend.

Sam shook his head.

"Look, it's going to be great. She already likes you for who you are so just be yourself." Ianto patted Sam on the back and tried to reassure him.

"I know but I can't help thinking that I'm going to mess it up." Sam admitted.

"You won't, trust me." Ianto replied and gave Sam a smile. "Now you go and have an amazing time."

"Okay." Sam managed a less shaky smile. "What are you doing tonight?"

"I don't know yet." Ianto frowned. "Jack said he was going to go and see Emma for a few minutes but that was an hour ago. I suppose that could mean that she's just as nervous as you and he's trying to reassure her."

Sam felt slightly more at ease. If Emma was nervous about the date, it proved that it meant something to her. It also meant that if he messed up because of nerves, she would understand.

"Thanks Ianto." Sam smiles. "I've got to go now; I don't want to keep Emma waiting."

Ianto nodded understandingly. "Enjoy your night."

"You too." Sam turned around and headed out the door to look for Emma.

Ianto shook his head and grinned to himself; he had seen Sam nervous and frightened like this before but it was always for him. It was nice to see him worrying about himself for a change.

********

"Jack?" Ianto called as he entered their bedroom. He had already seen Emma leave for her date so Jack couldn't still be talking to her.

Just as Ianto was about to call Jack's name again, Cassandra appeared at the bedroom door.

"What are you shouting about?" She asked.

"I'm looking for Jack." Ianto explained and gestured to the rest of the room to show that he wasn't there.

"Oh. I haven't seen him. Maybe he's getting something to eat." Cassandra guessed and Ianto nodded as he considered the possibility. "Did he show you the photos of him as a child?"

A grin spread across Ianto's face and Cassandra knew before he even answered that he had, indeed, seen the photos.

"Yeah, they were great. He's changed a lot." Ianto answered.

"He has grown into a fine young man." Cassandra agreed.

"I particularly liked the one where he was playing 'tug-of-war' with Emma for that blanket." Ianto decided.

"Yes, I remember that day. Jack was spending the week here. Jack, Amber and Emma were all sick. They lay on the sofa in the living room with a blanket thrown over them for nearly the whole week. Apart from the incident from the photo, they were too tired to fight." Cassandra laughed.

Ianto grinned at the thought of Jack being bundled up on the sofa for a week. Then he remembered that he still hadn't found Jack.

"I think I better carry on looking for Jack. You don't think he's avoiding me, do you?" Ianto asked.

"Avoiding you? No, Jack wouldn't avoid you. Why would he avoid you?" Cassandra tried to reassure Ianto.

"Because I'm just a servant boy. What can I give him that he doesn't already have?" Ianto admitted.

"Ianto, you're so much more than a servant boy. Don't you see that you give him someone to rely on? Someone to love? You are one of the few people who love him unreservedly. I'm his family and it's different for me but you mean the world to him." Cassandra told him. Every word of what she said was the truth and she couldn't understand how Ianto was unable to see how much Jack loved him.

Ianto nodded slowly. "I'd better go find him then. Thanks, Cassandra." Ianto said as he started to leave the room

"Ianto, can I ask you something before you go?" Cassandra stopped him.

"Yeah." Ianto nodded.

"Are you wearing Jack's shirt?" Cassandra raised an eyebrow and the grin on her face reminded Ianto so much of Jack that he couldn't help but grin back.

"Yes." He admitted and started to laugh.

Cassandra shook her head at Ianto and giggled. "Go on. Go and find your boyfriend."

She patted Ianto's shoulder as he walked past her and out of the room to look for Jack in the kitchen.

Cassandra sighed. It was lovely to see Ianto acting like a normal person in a normal relationship but something told her that Linda was not going to let go of Jack so easily.

********

Ianto entered the kitchen and was about to call Jack's name when he noticed him sitting at the table.

"Jack?" Ianto asked as he sat down next to him and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "Are you okay?"

Jack nodded but continued to stare at the wall in front of them.

"Jack, what's up?" Ianto asked again, not content with the previous answer.

Jack turned to face Ianto and flashed him a thin smile before leaning in and giving the surprised man a sweet kiss.

Ianto closed his eyes and enjoyed the feel of Jack's lips on his. However, the feeling didn't last long as Jack pulled away and sighed.

Jack rested his forehead on Ianto's a chuckled slightly.

"Do you know what, Ianto?" Jack asked as he looked directly into Ianto's eyes.

Ianto shook his head faintly. "What?"

"My mother visited the Institute almost a week ago and she hasn't done anything about me not being there anymore." Jack stated.

"And?" Ianto raised his eyebrows even though Jack couldn't see the gesture.

"I don't think she'll leave it like that. My mother is controlling and is not used to not getting her own way. That's what's bothering me." Jack explained.

"I still don't understand." Ianto muttered.

Jack sat up straight and looked straight at Ianto. "She's going to do something, Ianto. I don't know what she'll do but the silence says everything I need to hear. She's plotting something to keep me away from you and back with her and the longer she leaves it, the harder it will be for all of us."

* * *

Please review and let me know what you think :) Thanks


	29. Chapter 29

It was Sunday morning and Jack and Ianto walked hand in hand into the dining room. They had intended to eat with the rest of the family earlier on in the week but were never out of bed in time to do so.

Two weeks had passed since Cassandra had discharged Jack from the Cardiff Institute and everything was falling into place nicely.

"Good morning!" Jack called cheerfully to everybody in the room.

They all looked up, clearly shocked at seeing Jack and Ianto at breakfast.

Cassandra broke the shocked silence and grinned. "Good morning. To what do we owe this pleasure?"

"Ianto thought it would be a good idea to start eating with everybody else instead of hiding away in our room." Jack explained as he and Ianto took their seats at the table.

"Well I couldn't agree more." Cassandra smiled.

The table was set with everything that Jack had expected. It was a "help-yourself" meal and they each grabbed one of the empty plates from the middle of the table and filled them with food.

Amber sat next to Cassandra and was quietly discussing something with her and Emma was sat next to Sam and they sat giggling to each other as they ate their breakfast.

"It looks like Sam's date went well." Ianto mumbled to Jack as he cut a sausage.

"Yeah, I hope it goes well for them." Jack agreed as he observed his cousin and her new boyfriend.

"I have a feeling that it will." Ianto grinned and took a bite of the sausage. "Ooh! 'S hot!"

Jack chuckled at Ianto as he seemed to do the same thing every time he ate a cooked breakfast.

"Have a drink." Jack suggested and promptly poured Ianto a glass of orange juice.

Ianto downed the drink gratefully and sighed as his mouth cooled down.

"Thanks." Ianto smiled and put his now empty glass down.

"Anytime." Jack returned the smile and started eating his own breakfast.

"So, when do you two go back to school?" Jack asked his cousins.

"We leave on Tuesday but school doesn't actually start until Wednesday." Amber informed him.

"Are you going back by train?" Ianto asked and just before Amber answered there was a knock at the door.

"I'll get that." Jennifer jumped up from her seat at the table and went to answer the door as Malachy and Carys began gathering all the dishes that were finished with.

"I wonder who it is." Cassandra's brow furrowed as she tried to think of who could be knocking at her door at 8 o clock in the morning.

A few minutes of silence passed as everybody tried to make out the voices in the hallway.

"Are they in here?" the voice said and Jack's eyes widened.

The door to the dining room burst open and a figure stood in the doorway.

"I'm sorry Cassandra, she just pushed past me." Jennifer apologized.

"It's okay Jennifer." Cassandra dismissed the servant with a wave of her hand and Jennifer went back to clearing away the dishes. "What can I do for you, Linda?"

"What can you do for me?! I will tell you what you can do for me." Linda replied, mockingly. "You can start by giving me some answers."

"Okay. Amber, Emma, I would like you to go to your room and start packing." Cassandra ordered.

"But we're not leaving for two days!" Emma protested.

"Do as I say." Cassandra replied and both girls swiftly left the room and went upstairs to their bedroom.

"I want answers." Linda repeated.

"And you'll get them." Cassandra replied calmly. "Let's take this into the living room."

********

"Okay, you want answers? Ask me some questions and I'll tell you some answers." Cassandra said as she sat beside Jack and Ianto on one sofa and Linda sat on the other.

"Why did you take Jack out of the Cardiff Institute?" Linda asked. She was stressing her words in an attempt to sound menacing.

"I visited Jack and what they were doing was torturing him. He was being forced into denying himself and how he felt." Cassandra answered smoothly. "Next question."

"Why did you hire my servant and allow him to see Jack after I fired him for getting too close to my son and turning him into the disgusting thing he has become?" Linda spat.

"I hired Ianto because I can see that he truly loves Jack and true love is rare and should not be denied. It shouldn't matter if you love a man or a woman." Cassandra explained.

Linda sat in silence for a minute and glared at Jack and Ianto who were sitting with their hands firmly clasped to show their union.

"Anything else?" Cassandra asked.

"Jack," Linda started and turned to her son. "I have known for a week that you were here and I have given you a week to see that what you are doing is wrong and repulsive. It is unnatural, Jack. I demand that you come home with me today and forget about that nobody. You can still marry Jessica Evans and have a lovely, respectful life like me and your Father."

Ianto glanced sideways at Jack and his heart sank as he tried to read his face. It showed no signs of anger. Ianto quickly looked away and bit his tongue to stop the tears from streaming down his cheeks.

"Mother, I don't know how I am going to tell you this in a way you will understand but I love Ianto. And as for living a lovely respectful life like you and my Father, I don't think that is possible. You don't love my Father. Just like he doesn't love you. Your idea of a lovely life is to appear perfect. Live like everybody expects you to; live by the rules and be respected. I don't want respect if I can't have Ianto by my side." Jack looked at Ianto as he said this. "I am not going home with you today or any other day. I'm staying here with the man I love and with people who love me for who I am and won't make me change."

At this point, Ianto was unable to hold back his smile and he let it spread across his face proudly.

Linda sat gobsmacked and shocked by what Jack had just said. Her own son was defying her.

"Well then. If that is how you feel." Linda mumbled.

"Yes, it is." Jack nodded.

"Then I guess I have no other choice. If you insist on "loving" the servant, you are no longer my son." Linda finished and stood up. "Cassandra, I am here to visit all day and I intend to do so. I shall not get in your way and will leave when I am ready." Linda quickly left the room and closed the door behind her.

"Jack?" Ianto quietly asked.

"Yes?" Jack said.

"Are you okay?" Ianto turned to face Jack.

"Well, considering that my Mother has just disowned me, I'm feeling okay." Jack replied and put his head on Ianto's shoulder.

"I know she was judgemental and stuck up and bossy and a whole bunch of other things but she was still your Mother, Jack. We'll understand if you're upset." Cassandra leaned over and placed her hand on Jack's knee.

"I know. I am a bit worried that she isn't finished yet. I mean, why would she stay the whole day if that was the only reason she came here?" Jack sat up straight and looked directly into Cassandra's eyes.

"I don't know, honey. You don't need to worry about it though because you have me, Ianto, the twins and servant's backing you up." Cassandra reassured him.

"I know." Jack sighed. "Could I have a little time on my own? I just want to sit for a bit and think about everything that's happened."

"Sure. Ianto, will you accompany me to the gardens?" Cassandra asked as she stood up.

"Yes." Ianto stood up and started following Cassandra outside but stopped for a moment and walked back to where Jack was still sitting. He took Jack's face in his hands and looked deeply into his eyes. "I love you, Jack." Ianto whispered and pressed a chaste kiss to Jack's lips before turning and following Cassandra outside.

Jack gazed after Ianto and muttered to himself. "I love you too, Ianto."

He was unable to hold back the tears as he choked out Ianto's name. Jack let out the sob that had been building up in his chest and allowed the tears to flow freely down his cheeks.

* * *

Thanks to everyone who's reviewed so far! I appreciate all feedback so please don't forget to continue reviewing! :)


	30. Chapter 30

Cassandra and Ianto walked in silence through the gardens. There wasn't a particular direction to their walking.

Cassandra stopped as they reached the pond and sighed.

"Jack says that he feels okay about everything that has just happened but I know him too well." Cassandra explained. "Linda was his Mother and even though she treats him as a possession, he still loved her."

"Will she ever really stop interfering in his life?" Ianto asked. The thought of having Linda Harkness constantly shadowing them and trying to destroy their love was almost too much to bear.

"I think that if Jack stands his ground today, she will move on and leave it. Pushing it too hard will only result in her own humiliation and in her eyes that is worse than losing her only son." Cassandra answered.

"Is Jack going to be okay?" Ianto questioned.

Cassandra nodded slowly. "He's probably going to hurt for a while but he'll get over it...eventually."

"I'll be here to support him." Ianto replied defensively.

"I know, honey. I never doubted that." Cassandra smiled at Ianto. "I'm just saying. He's not going to admit that his mother has hurt him again."

********

Jack wiped his cheeks frantically and tried to stop crying.

"Come on, Jack." He mumbled to himself. "You're letting her get to you. Stop it."

He sniffed once and took a deep breath. This helped calm him a lot more now that he was willing to stop the tears. Before he had wanted to cry; let it all out now and he was less likely to burst into tears later in front of everybody.

Jack wiped away the last of the tears and sat in the silent room. His mother had disowned him. Sure he felt lost but he also felt slightly relieved. Linda had disowned him but in a way that sort of meant that she was 'giving him permission' to carry on loving Ianto and live how he wants.

He also knew that it wasn't really like that. He was grasping desperately at a lie that he so badly wanted to believe. Linda had disowned him and it wasn't to let him live his life and love his man; it was to save her the embarrassment of being associated with him. She did it to rid herself of the task of dealing with the 'unnatural'. It would be far easier for her and Paul to just forget about him and carry on living their imitation perfect life.

Jack didn't care. He may have lost his mother today and he lost his father a long time ago but they were no match for the family he was receiving. They were no match for Ianto.

********

"Cassandra, I'm going to go inside now if that's alright." Ianto stood up from where he and Cassandra had sat on the bench by the pond.

"Sure. I'm going to stay out here for a bit longer." Cassandra replied and continued to stare out across the pond.

Ianto nodded and hurried inside. He wasn't going to disturb Jack; he knew that when Jack was ready, he would come to him and he had no intention of forcing him.

Ianto quickly made his way upstairs and was heading across the landing towards his bedroom when he noticed the door was open. Jack always insisted on having it closed even when they weren't in.

He stopped and quickly tried to think about who could have opened the door. He let out the breath that he hadn't realised he'd been holding as he realised that it was probably one of the other servant's cleaning.

Ianto entered his room and was surprised to find that nobody was there. He was about to shout into the bathroom to see if anyone was in there when he heard movement coming from said room.

"You don't need to clean in here; I'm going to do it later." Ianto called through to the bathroom to whichever servant was in there.

"I am not cleaning up your filth, servant boy." Linda sneered as she emerged from the bathroom.

"Mrs. Harkness?" Ianto questioned. She was the last person he had expected to be snooping around his bathroom. "What are you doing in here?"

"I wanted to see your 'cosy' little life. I wanted to see the 'cosy' little life that is just a phase that my son is going through." Linda explained.

"I don't understand." Ianto raised an eyebrow.

Linda laughed at him. "I pity you, Ianto Jones. Jack has got you wrapped around his little finger. You think he loves you? You are nothing more than a bit of entertainment until he gets bored and moves onto something else."

Ianto shook his head in denial. He wanted to tell her that everything she says are lies but there was a niggling feeling it was true. He was nothing more than a toy to Jack. His boyfriend would go running back to Mammy and Daddy when he was finished with him.

"You are not even worthy of him! You are a servant boy with no parents or family left. You have one friend in the entire world. Do you really think that you are in the same league as my son? Let me tell you this, servant boy, Jack Harkness is respectful and rich. He is looked up to by people whereas you are no better than a tramp on the street. You are worthless!" Linda scoffed.

Ianto didn't even bother trying to stop himself from crying. Linda was picking up on all his insecurities and making sure that he knew his place. There was no point in arguing with her.

Just as the sob was building up in Ianto's throat, he noticed Jack enter the room.

Jack strode across the room and stood by Ianto's side. He glared at his Mother and she was instantly silenced. Jack took Ianto's hand in his own to show that nothing she said would tear them apart.

This simple gesture made Ianto realise immediately that what Linda had just said was lies. Jack did love him and he wasn't just a temporary toy in Jack's life. He regretted letting her get to him but was so pleased that Jack knew what she was up to.

"Get out." Jack said simply.

"Jack..." Linda started.

"Don't." Jack stopped her and Linda turned and left the room; knowing that she was fighting a lost battle.

********

"Jack." Ianto said simply as Jack enveloped his arms around him.

"It's okay, Ianto. I know. We said that we wouldn't let her get to us but it's hard. She's scheming and sneaky and not worth getting worked up over." Jack soothed.

Ianto nodded into Jack's shoulder and sniffed. He felt safe and protected in Jack's arms.

"Ianto, I'm going to go downstairs and see Cassandra for a minute. I do not want my mother in this house any longer. Her objectives are clear and I am not standing for any of it. Will you be okay?" Jack asked and pulled away from Ianto slightly to see his face.

Ianto nodded again.

Jack leaned in and kissed Ianto reassuringly. The kiss told Ianto everything that he needed to know. All his insecurities were gone as soon as Jack's lips touched Ianto's.

"I'll be back soon." Jack promised and left Ianto to pull himself together.

* * *

Thanks for reading! Hope that chapter was enjoyable. Please review! :)


	31. Chapter 31

"Cassandra, I'm sorry but I want her out of this house as soon as possible." Jack got straight to the point when he found Cassandra still sitting on the bench by the pond.

"Who?" Cassandra asked.

"Linda...My mother...I don't even know what to call her anymore." Jack sighed and sat down next to her.

Cassandra chuckled slightly. "I should have guessed who you meant easily. What has she done now?"

"More like what hasn't she done?" Jack groaned and took a deep breath. "I was looking for Ianto and I went into our bedroom to find her telling him that he is worthless and I don't love him. She'd reduced him to tears!"

Cassandra nodded. "Why am I not surprised? That woman has said that she will have nothing more to do with you but she just cannot seem to help herself."

"She's ridiculous. She needs to accept that I'm old enough to know what I want and how I feel." Jack laid his head on Cassandra's shoulder.

"I'll have her out of here within the hour." Cassandra smiled and rubbed Jack's shoulder reassuringly.

"Thank you." Jack sighed again and closed him eyes. "Have I ever told you how amazing you are?"

"I do recall you telling me that once when you were a kid. I gave you biscuits with an icing smiley face on the front." Cassandra remembered.

Jack laughed at the memory. "Well, I'd never had them before. It was too posh in my house for anything that looked even slightly childish."

Cassandra hummed her agreement. "I'm going inside to rid us of the cruel croon of Cardiff. I think you had better go and see that your boyfriend still believes that he is worthy of your love."

"I wish that he is way more than worthy of my love." Jack said.

"He is going to be insecure because of the differences between your families. It'll get better over time." Cassandra smiled and left Jack alone by the pond.

Jack nodded to himself and remembered that he had told Ianto that he would be back soon. If he stayed out here any longer, Ianto would be worrying about where he was.

********

"Linda," Cassandra found Linda sitting at the dining room table. "I need to talk to you."

"Nothing good, I guess." Linda replied and turned to face Cassandra as she sat down. She raised an eyebrow. "What is it that you wanted to talk to me about?"

"I know you've had a long journey here and it was pretty much a wasted journey..." Cassandra started.

"Wasted journey, indeed. Can you believe that he chose that servant over his own mother? I came all the way over here to give him a second chance and he threw it back in my face. I made sure he had everything he wanted." Linda ranted.

"You've just shown me why Jack chose Ianto." Cassandra said.

"Excuse me? What do you mean by that?" Linda asked, she was clearly confused and taking offence.

"Firstly, that 'servant' he chose over you is the man he loves and what he wanted was not lots of toys or expensive clothes; it was for you to accept him for who he is and accept his partner. Secondly, he wants to be able to have the freedom of choosing who he's going to spend the rest of his life with." Cassandra explained. "Yes, Jessica Evans was a nice girl. She was from a respectful family and their marriage would look great on paper but the rest of his life is a long time; especially since he's only eighteen. He's barely an adult and neither he nor Jessica would have been truly happy with their each other. True love is hard to find and Jack is lucky enough to find it; you should be happy for him and not try to split them up."

"But it is not right..." Linda replied.

"What about unconditional love? From the moment your child comes into this world a mother should love it so much and want the best for it. Just because you have money and wealth does not mean that Jack is any better than anybody else. What makes him better than the likes of you is that he loves people no matter what and forgives them; he even forgives you after everything you've done to hurt him. That, in my opinion, takes a lot more strength than to cut someone off and act as if they don't exist." Cassandra shouted at Linda.

Shaking her head, Linda stood up.

"I am not listening to this. If you do not mind, I am excusing myself until you see sense." She said and started to leave the room.

"No." Cassandra said in a low voice.

"Excuse me?" Linda spun around and faced her sister-in-law.

"You heard me." Cassandra replied. "You will no longer be excusing yourself in my house because you will no longer be in my house. I want you to leave now and I do not wish to see you around here again."

Linda stood and stared at Cassandra, gobsmacked. After a minute of standing speechless, Linda was finally able to speak.

"What about being strong and not cutting people off?" Linda sneered.

"I still stand by what I said about that but I can't forgive you Linda. I wish I could but I can't. Goodbye." Cassandra replied and got up and left the room.

Linda stood there for a minute more before she realised that it was pointless arguing with Cassandra when she was like this and headed for the door.

The taxi from earlier that morning was waiting by the front door. Cassandra must have called for it, Linda thought to herself. She had planned to throw her out. Whether it had went as planned, Linda did not know. All she knew was that she had officially lost some of her family and she still stood by everything she had done and said.

"Driver, take me home." Linda instructed as she climbed into the back seat of the car.

"Yes Mistress." The driver replied and immediately started driving away from Cassandra's house.

Linda looked back at the house and turned away almost instantly. She had given Jack his second chance and she would not be giving him anymore.

* * *

Sorry this chapter took so long. I hope you enjoy it! Please don't forget to review :)


	32. Chapter 32

"She's gone." Jack leaned on the door frame of his and Ianto's bedroom.

Ianto nodded as he stared out the window.

"I know. I watched her leave." He replied.

Jack closed the door behind him as he quietly walked across the room. He stopped behind Ianto and wrapped his arms around Ianto's waist and rested his chin on his shoulder.

"Thank you, Jack." Ianto said and turned around in Jack's arms to face him.

"What for?" Jack asked and raised his eyebrows.

"For sticking up for me. For choosing me over your family. For looking past the fact that I'm just a servant with nothing to offer you. Thank you for everything." Ianto leaned up and kissed Ianto. It was unexpected and Jack took a moment to respond.

Ianto stopped the kiss almost as quick as he started it and Jack looked at him, confused.

"Ianto, you don't have to thank me. It's something I don't even have to think about. My mother was ruling my life and I didn't even realise it because there was nothing I wanted so bad that I would go against what she said; until I met you. You made me realise what I wanted in life and I wasn't going to let go of the life that I have created with you so she can control me again." Jack explained and tightened his grip on Ianto as he hugged him.

Ianto couldn't think of what to say. Every word Jack had just said was dripping with honesty. Instead of replying to him, Ianto just wrapped his arms around Jack's neck and hugged him.

Jack kissed the top of Ianto head and just held him. He was so happy that he had Ianto and he was hurt by what his mother had done and said but it didn't really matter anymore. After seeing how she wasn't going to stop interfering and trying to control his life, it didn't seem worth getting hurt over. She didn't really care for him so he was going to try and forget about her. An old saying that Cassandra had once told him came to mind: "Treat others how they treat you." Or was it "Treat others how you want to be treat?" It didn't matter now, Linda had disowned him and he couldn't care less.

********

Jack and Ianto had eaten lunch with everybody else in the dining room. It hadn't been the usual cheery 'social gathering' that it normally was. Everybody ate in silence and nobody looked anybody else in the eyes.

Jack guessed that Cassandra had informed everybody else of what Linda had done this time and that was what was causing the awkward silence.

When they were finished eating, Jack and Ianto excused themselves from the table and headed straight for the pond in the garden.

The sun was finally shining and the ground was dry, it made a pleasant change from the outbursts of rain that they had been having.

"Jack, tell me about your childhood." Ianto asked as they sat on the bench. Jack raised an eyebrow at Ianto. "I don't mean your childhood with Linda, just the parts when Cassandra was looking after you; tell me about the good stuff."

"Okay...erm...let me think..." Jack agreed and fell silent for a few minutes. Ianto was about to remind him when Jack suddenly started speaking again. "Cassandra used to look after me whenever the twins came home from school. I didn't go to boarding school like Amber and Emma; probably because my mother wanted to know where I was and what I was doing at all times so she could rule my life. Anyway, I would stay with Cassandra during the school holidays and she would take us out to places."

"Where did she take you?" Ianto asked and leaned his head on Jack's shoulder. He loved listening to the sound of Jack's voice; it was soothing.

"I remember she took us out for ice cream once. I think I was about eight years old and Cassandra handed me my ice cream and I licked it upwards instead of sideways, the ice cream just flopped off the cone and onto the floor." Jack laughed at the memory. "Cassandra bought me another one and told me how I had to eat it so it wouldn't go on the floor again."

"Ice cream gives me headaches." Ianto thought aloud. "Where else did she take you?"

"She used to take us to a little village not too far from here. We'd stay for the weekend and we'd feed the ducks from the lake every morning." Jack smiled.

"The only duck's I've ever seen are dead ones ready to be plucked and cooked." Ianto frowned. "I love birds..." Ianto mused.

Jack didn't reply. He stared at the pond and Ianto assumed that he was just thinking about his childhood so he didn't say anything.

After a few minutes of silence, Jack suddenly turned to Ianto.

"Let's go back inside." He said and took Ianto's hand as he stood up.

"Jack?" Ianto said as he and Jack were walking back to the house.

"Yes?" Jack replied and looked sideways at Ianto questioningly.

"I was thinking about how I should really start working for Cassandra. I think I should start tomorrow." Ianto stated.

Jack stopped walking and dropped Ianto's hand.

"Why tomorrow? Can't you just wait for a few more weeks?" Jack asked.

"I don't think I should. I'm living here and I'm not paying for anything; the least I can do is work for her and I think it's stupid to keep putting it off. Cassandra has given me loads already and I don't want to take her for granted or take advantage of her kindness." Ianto explained. He really couldn't see what Jack's problem was. Jack was related to Cassandra and families always look out for each other...well, except Linda Harkness...Ianto was just Jack's boyfriend so he should be earning his keep. How could Jack not see that?

"I don't think you should start working for her so soon. I want to spend more time with you." Jack admitted.

Ianto fell silent. Yeah, it was sweet of Jack to want to spend so much time with him but he felt guilty about not earning his keep and he wanted to show Cassandra how much he appreciated her.

"Jack, I won't be working as much as a regular servant, you already sorted that out for me. I need to do this." Ianto said. He was determined to stand his ground. He felt that Jack was being slightly selfish about this. "You always get what you want. You had an amazing childhood. Maybe that was with Cassandra instead of your mother but I had nobody! I always do what other people want me to do and I know this sounds strange but I am going to do what I want for a change and work for Cassandra."

Jack nodded slowly, it was clear that he was thinking through what Ianto had just said.

"So you're saying I had a better childhood than you?" Jack raised an eyebrow.

"I don't know...It just seems that you did everything that I wanted to when I was little whilst I was stuck helping in the kitchen." Ianto shrugged.

"Okay, I'm taking you away." Jack decided out loud.

"Excuse me?" Ianto was confused by Jack's statement.

"I'm going to take you on a mini-break. We're going to the lake that Cassandra used to take me and the twins to when we were little. I'll even take you to feed the ducks. There's also a beach nearby so we can spend some time there. Have you ever been to a beach?" Jack asked.

"No..." Ianto started but was cut off by Jack.

"Good. I'll take you to the beach. I'm sure Cassandra can organise a place to stay for us; she knows quite a few people there. We'll go tomorrow and come back on Friday. Then you can start working for Cassandra when we get back, how does that sound?" Jack questioned Ianto and took his hand in his once again.

Ianto thought about it for a second. "That sounds great." He smiled.

"Excellent. Come on, we'll go and find Cassandra." Jack immediately started pulling Ianto towards the house in search of Cassandra.

* * *

I'm really sorry about how long this chapter took. It's just I've been a bit busy lately. Hopefully it will be worth the wait and the next chapter shouldn't be as long...hopefully. Anyways, enjoy and please don't forget to review! :)


	33. Chapter 33

Ianto stepped out of the car and looked around. They had arrived at a small wooden cottage in the country. It had a beautiful wooden deck that went fully around the cottage; a patio table and two matching chairs stood at one end. Three pristine steps led up to the cottage door.

Ianto managed to tear his gaze away from the luxurious cottage and looked around at his surroundings. There was a large pond nearby and all behind the cottage was blocked off by trees. Apart from the main road leading to the seaside town that was a ten minute walk away, the cottage was completely secluded from everybody else.

Smiling, Ianto looked over at Jack. He was helping the driver get their suitcase out of the car boot. This was exactly what they needed after dealing with Linda Harkness, Ianto thought to himself.

"Thank you very much." Jack smiled at the driver and handed him some money.

"What time would you like me to pick you up on Friday, sir?" The driver hurriedly put the money in the pocket of his suit jacket and was waiting to climb back into his car to drive home.

"Erm...Is 5pm okay for you?" Jack asked.

The driver nodded. "Certainly, sir. I will see you on Friday at 5pm. Enjoy your holiday, sir." He quickly got into the car and drove carefully down the bumpy road leading away from the cottage.

Jack turned to face Ianto. "Shall we go inside?"

Ianto nodded eagerly. "I can't believe Cassandra got this for us at the last minute."

"She has contacts." Jack explained briefly. "Now come on. I can't wait for you to see the inside! It's just as beautiful as out here but not nearly as beautiful as you."

"Oh my gosh, Jack. That was so cheesy." Ianto laughed.

"I know." Jack waggled his eyebrows and grabbed their suitcase with one hand and took hold of Ianto's with the other.

Ianto allowed Jack to lead him inside the cottage wondering how anything could possibly be more beautiful than outside.

Jack laughed as Ianto's jaw dropped.

"See? We'll have to come here more often." Jack nodded to himself as he looked around the room.

Everything was just how he remembered. A creamy white sofa stood just off the centre of the room facing a large, open fireplace. A small kitchen area was in the far corner and was only separated from the living area by a few work counters. There was a door on the wall in between the living area and kitchen. Jack knew that it led to the master bedroom and there was another door in the master bedroom that led to the en-suite bathroom.

"It's amazing!" Ianto breathed. Sure, Cassandra's house was magnificent and she had everything that an upper class woman should have but this was something else. It was relaxing and romantic. Here you could just kick back and enjoy yourself; it was almost as if time didn't exist. They were cut off from the rest of the world and all that mattered was each other.

Ianto quickly dropped Jack's hand and hurried off into the bedroom to look around. Jack laughed at his boyfriend's excitement.

"Ianto, we'll unpack first and then have something to eat and then go to the beach. How does that sound?" Jack called through into the bedroom as he opened the suitcase.

"That sounds good." Ianto emerged from the bedroom and began helping Jack unpack.

"No." Jack said and put his hand on Ianto's, signalling for him to stop unpacking. "I'll unpack."

"Why?" Ianto asked, confused.

"Because you've always had to do the work, I'll unpack and you can relax." Jack explained and went back to taking various items of clothing out of the case.

"Fine." Ianto said. "I'll make us some sandwiches then."

"Ianto..." Jack groaned.

"Jack, I'm not just sitting there watching you do everything. I'll make us some sandwiches and that way as soon as you've finished unpacking, we can eat and then head to the beach." Ianto insisted.

Jack thought about it for a second and decided that Ianto's plan was better than his.

"Okay...but only so we can get to the beach faster." Jack said and quickly stood up and took the things he had unpacked so far into the bedroom.

Ianto smiled at his small victory and went into the kitchen to make sandwiches.

********

Jack took a deep breath as he stepped outside the cottage. Despite the fact that Cassandra's house wasn't even in a city, the air here was so much fresher.

"I'm ready!" Ianto grinned as he came out of the cottage and took Jack's hand. "How do I look?" He raised his eyebrows at Jack.

Ianto was wearing a pair of long blue jeans and a red jumper. He wore a long grey coat similar to Jack's over the top. It was cold outside and although Ianto had never been to the beach before, he seemed to know enough to know that if it is a cold day, it was usually even colder on a beach.

"You look beautiful." Jack answered honestly.

"Really?" Ianto's face lit up with his smile at Jack's compliment.

"Yes, really." Jack laughed. "Let's go."

Ianto allowed Jack to lead him down the road away from the cottage. They walked for almost half an hour. It wouldn't have taken as long if Ianto hadn't stopped every five minutes to point something out or to explore in some of the nearby trees.

They finally arrived and Jack left go of Ianto's hand and sat down at the top of the steps that led down to the sandy beach.

"What're you doing?" Ianto asked as he looked down at the top of Jack's head.

"I'm taking me shoes off, Ianto." Jack looked up and raised an eyebrow.

"Oh." Ianto said simply and quickly sat down to remove his own shoes.

As soon as they both had bare feet, Jack and Ianto hurried down the steps and onto the beach.

Ianto wiggled his toes in the sand. It was cool and slightly wet on his hot feet. He laughed aloud as he noticed that the more he wiggled, the more he sunk into the sand.

"Ianto, we'll just leave our shoes and stuff here because there's nobody else on the beach so they won't get stolen." Jack dumped his shoes and bag next to the wall. He then quickly removed his top layers but left his jeans on as it was too cold for shorts. Both, he and Ianto had brought spare trousers in case the one's they were wearing got wet. Ianto waddled over and put his shoes next the Jack's. "What are you walking like that for?"

"The sand feels funny." Ianto explained and turned away from Jack and started waddling towards the sea.

Jack allowed Ianto to get a bit further ahead of him before he started running towards the sea. After a few seconds of running, he had passed Ianto and could hear shouts from his boyfriend. Jack turned around as he was running to see what Ianto was shouting about but he didn't get far as he didn't see the rock sticking out of the sand in front of him.

"Oomph!" Jack groaned as he his body hit the sand. He quickly sat up, hoping that Ianto had somehow missed his fall.

"Jack, are you okay?" Ianto asked as he caught up to him.

"Yeah..." Jack nodded and stood up.

Ianto looked Jack up and down and started laughing.

"What?" Jack asked. He immediately felt very self conscious.

Ianto pointed at Jack's naked chest which was now a golden brown colour from all the sand that had stuck to him.

Jack laughed slightly as he realised what Ianto was laughing at and felt a bit silly for thinking that Ianto would be laughing at him for any other reason. He wiped at his chest and stomach with his hands and watched as the sand flaked off.

"All gone." Jack stated and looked up at where Ianto had been standing. "Ianto?" Jack looked around and spotted Ianto waving to him from the sea.

Jack laughed and shook his head. He ran the rest of the way to the sea, he was extra careful when running this time in case of any more hidden rocks.

"It's cold." Ianto shouted as Jack ran straight into the sea.

Jack yelped slightly as the icy water hit his feet and splashed up his legs. The jeans helped protect him from some of the bitterness but not completely.

Jack waded through the cold water to where Ianto was standing. Bending down slightly, Ianto took a handful of water whilst staring into Jack's eyes. Once he was sure that Jack had no idea what he was planning, he threw the water up into Jack's face.

"Eurgh!" Jack spluttered.

Ianto laughed and tried to step back to avoid the water that Jack was trying to splash him with. Ianto tried to run backwards away from Jack when his foot got caught in the seaweed. Losing his balance, Ianto plummeted into the sea.

Jack stopped splashing instantly and hurried forward to give Ianto a hand up.

Ianto emerged from the salty water, coughing out the water that he had swallowed.

"Sorry, Ianto." Jack apologised as he quickly check over Ianto to make sure he hadn't hurt himself. "Are you alright?"

Ianto nodded and took a deep breath. Once he was sure he wouldn't start coughing again, he wrapped his arms around Jack and kissed his forcefully on the mouth.

Jack immediately responded to Ianto and placed his hands on Ianto's cheeks, holding him in place.

********

Jack and Ianto lay on the beach towel they had brought with them. They had already dried off and changed into their fresh clothes.

Jack had attempted to light a fire with the bits of wood he had found in caves and along the beach while Ianto got changed. All of his attempts were unsuccessful until Ianto interrupted and showed him how to do it properly. Jack smiled and placed a quick kiss to Ianto's cheek.

"Today has been really good." Ianto said as he shuffled closer into Jack's embrace and rested an arm across his stomach.

"Yeah..." Jack agreed. "Every day this week will be amazing, I can promise you that."

Ianto smiled. He could really get used to life with Jack.

* * *

A bit of a longer chapter this time. I hope everybody likes it. Please don't forget to review! :)


	34. Chapter 34

Jack woke up at 7:30am and quietly made his way to the kitchen to make Ianto breakfast in bed.

He had never actually cooked properly before but he had watched Ianto do it a couple of times so he figured that it couldn't be too hard. Not to mention the fact that Ianto had left the fire under the stove on low the night before due to the cold weather. All he had to do was make the fire a bit bigger and everything else should be a piece of cake, Jack thought to himself.

Looking around the kitchen, Jack noticed some leftovers from yesterday's dinner and decided that heating them up for himself and Ianto would be a good idea and a nice change from the usual breakfast they had at home.

Once Jack had placed everything to the side of the stove, he turned his attention to the low fire that was burning away.

He stood and watched it flicker lightly for a few minutes whilst trying to figure out how he was going to get the fire bigger so it would heat up the breakfast quicker.

"Ah!" Jack grinned as he noticed a kitchen towel on the bench and putting the little knowledge he had about fires, he came up with the solution that a fire needed oxygen to survive and the more oxygen it had, the bigger it would become. Therefore, wafting the kitchen towel in front of the fire would feed it oxygen and create a bigger fire. Jack beamed at his plan.

He stepped away from the stove and began wafting the towel in the direction of the fire and grinned as it quickly got bigger.

"What are you doing?" A voice said from behind him.

Jack jumped forward at the sound of the voice and threw the towel in fright.

"Ianto," Jack smiled and stood up. "I was going to make you breakfast in bed." He leaned forward and pecked Ianto on the cheek.

"Really?" Ianto raised his eyebrows. "How is it going?"

"Quite good actually, even if I do say so myself." Jack nodded.

Ianto nodded slowly. "Is that why the kitchen towel is now burning in the stove fire?"

"What?!" Jack spun around to see that he had, indeed, threw the towel into the stove. "Oh no!" Jack glanced around, desperately looking for something to get the towel out of the fire with. With a groan of disappointment when he noticed nothing, he thrust his hand forward and grabbed the towel.

"Argh!" Jack dropped the towel on the tiled floor and started shaking his hand around in the air in a vain attempt to cool it down.

"Jack! Put your hand under the cold tap!" Ianto yelled and gestured frantically towards the sink in the kitchen.

Jack ran over to where Ianto was pointing and quickly turned on the tap with his uninjured hand and held his burned hand under running water.

"Ah." Jack sighed as he felt the relief wash over his hand.

Ianto looked down at the still smouldering towel on the floor. Looking around, he found a jug of water from last night still on the bench; picking it up, Ianto slowly poured some of the water onto the smouldering towel and watched as all the leftover fire quickly fizzled out.

Ianto placed the jug back on the countertop and turned his attention back to Jack.

"Let me have a look at your hand, Jack." Ianto stood behind his boyfriend and waited for Jack to turn around.

Jack took his hand out from under the water and turned to Ianto.

"Does it hurt?" Ianto asked as he took Jack's red hand in his own.

"A bit, yeah." Jack nodded and let Ianto examine him. "Will I need to go to the hospital?"

Ianto chuckled at this. "No you won't, Jack. It's only slightly burnt."

"Yeah but look at it." Jack nodded towards his hand. "Surely it needs checked out by a professional."

"Jack, you'll be fine. I've seen some of the old kitchen staff suffer worse burns and they're fine in an hour or so." Ianto explained and looked up at Jack's face. In Jack's eyes he saw minor disappointment. Ianto smiled slightly and his eyes flicked back to Jack's hand. "Would you like me to kiss it better?"

Jack's face lit up at this and he too looked down at his hand. "It would make me feel better."

Ianto raised Jack's hand and pressed his lips against it gently, being extra careful not to hurt him.

"Does it feel any better?" Ianto asked.

"It does a little bit but it still hurts." Jack pouted.

Ianto grinned at Jack and kissed his hand again. This time he pressed a bit harder as the redness was starting to go down.

"How about now?" Ianto asked again.

"It feels much better now." Jack nodded. "But..." He paused.

"But...what?" Ianto encouraged Jack to continue. He had a feeling that he knew what he was about to say.

"My lips hurt a bit too." Jack pouted again.

Ianto chuckled slightly. He had guessed right. Ianto's eyes fell to Jack's lips and, closing his eyes, he leaned forward and proceeded to give Jack's lips the same treatment he had with his finger.

After a few moments, Ianto pulled back.

"Do you feel better now?" He grinned at Jack.

"Much better, thanks." Jack nodded and wrapped an arm around Ianto's waist as he turned to face the stove. "What shall we do about breakfast?"

"What were you planning on making me?" Ianto asked and reached looked around for the kettle.

"I was just going to heat up some leftovers from yesterday's dinner. I thought it would be better to start of small because I've never cooked before and I wanted you to at least enjoy your first cooked-by-Jack meal." Jack pointed at the leftovers which were still lying on the counter top where he had left them.

"It's the thought that counts." Ianto smiled as he found the kettle. "Can you make coffee?"

Jack thought quickly and shook his head.

"Okay," Ianto glanced around. "Take this kettle and fill it up with cold water from the tap." Ianto instructed and passed the kettle to Jack.

Jack took the kettle from Ianto and proceeded to fill it up as instructed.

While Jack did that, Ianto bent down and examined the fire. It was still going despite Jack's tampering. Ianto leaned to the side and gathered up some of the wood that he had collected yesterday and placed it carefully on the fire. He watched for a few moments until he was sure that it was getting bigger and then stood back up again.

"I've filled it up." Jack stood behind Ianto again with the now filled kettle in his hand.

"Put it on the stove." Ianto pointed to the stove and Jack done as he was told.

"Now what?" Jack asked as he stepped back.

"Put those left over's in a pan." Ianto said.

Jack continued following Ianto's instructions and he soon had everything heated up and the coffee made and was just finishing setting the table and serving the breakfast.

"Your breakfast, Mr. Jones." Jack grinned and gestured towards a chair.

"It looks great, Mr. Harkness." Ianto laughed and sat down.

They ate in silence for a few minutes before Ianto suddenly broke it.

"What are we doing today?" He asked.

"I was thinking we could go to the lake." Jack suggested.

"The one just outside the cottage?" Ianto raised his eyebrows.

"No, that's just a small pond. There's a lake just beyond the trees. There are always swans and ducks there. I thought it would be a nice idea to take some bread and feed them. We should wear thick clothes and jackets though because it looks like it's going to be cold." Jack glanced out window.

"That way we can take out time, right?" Ianto asked.

"Yes." Jack nodded and turned his attention back to his breakfast. "This is quite good, if I do say so myself."

Ianto chuckled at Jack's modesty and continued eating his own breakfast and thought about their plans for the day.

* * *

Really sorry about how long this took. I had a few...problems. But it's here now. Enjoy and don't forget to review! :)


	35. Chapter 35

"How far is the lake?" Ianto asked as they stepped out of the cottage.

"It's about a 15 minute walk through the trees." Jack recalled and pointed in the direction they would be taking.

"Is there a footpath?" Ianto looked around.

"Not that I remember." Jack answered and shook his head.

"Good." Ianto nodded and headed off in the direction that Jack had pointed out.

Jack quickly followed Ianto. "What do you mean?"

"Well, it will be way more fun if there isn't a footpath. It'll be more adventure-like." Ianto explained as he stopped at the edge of the trees. "I think you should lead the way, Jack. I'm only going to get us lost."

Jack nodded his agreement and stepped past Ianto and into the forest. Looking around nervously, Ianto put his right foot forward and mirrored Jack's actions as he stumbled into Jack's childhood.

"Every time we walked through this forest, either Amber or Emma would trip over a bit of tree root or a rock sticking out of the ground." Jack remembered.

"Did you ever fall over?" Ianto asked.

"I don't think so." He laughed.

They walked in silence for 10 minutes before Jack stopped suddenly.

Ianto was busy checking the ground for stray roots and walked directly into Jack.

"What have you stopped for?" Ianto peered over Jack's shoulder.

"Shhhh." Jack put a finger against his lips to signal for quiet. "Look over there."

Jack pointed through the trees at, what Ianto first thought, was nothing. However, upon looking around for a bit, he noticed that Jack was actually pointing at a small deer.

"Can deer's hurt you?" Ianto whispered into Jack's ear as he immediately seized his hand.

"Don't worry. It won't attack us if we let it be. Isn't it amazing?" Jack mumbled back to Ianto and squeezed his hand reassuringly.

"Yeah, it's beautiful. Jack, can we just go? I don't like the way it's look at us." Ianto said impatiently.

"It's not even looking at us, what are you on about?" Jack turned to Ianto and raised an eyebrow.

Ianto looked at Jack for a moment; not sure of what he should tell him. Sighing, he decided it would be best to just tell him the truth.

"I'm afraid of it, okay?" Ianto mumbled.

Jack fought back a chuckle. "You know what, Ianto?"

"What?" Ianto said, confused.

"You are just too cute." Jack grinned and kissed the end of Ianto's nose.

"Jaaack..." Ianto moaned and jumped up and down slightly. "Please can we go before it comes and eats us?"

Jack couldn't help laughing at this. "Yes, we can go now."

Jack pulled Ianto closer to him and walked briskly in the direction they were originally headed. Jack grinned to himself; the lake was only a few more minutes away from where they were.

They walked hand-in-hand for the last part of the journey. It was quiet but it was a quiet that neither man felt uncomfortable in.

Eventually, they reached the end of the forest and stepped out into a breath-taking clearing. The grass and trees were a lush green and the lake's surface glistened in the morning sunlight.

"Jack, this is amazing." Ianto breathed.

"I know." Jack nodded. "Come on, let's go and set our stuff down."

Jack led Ianto to a patch of grass near the water's edge and spread the thin blanket that they had brought with them across the ground.

Ianto sat down next to Jack and looked out over the lake.

Ducks and swans were gliding effortlessly across the water's surface; creating ever-widening ripples. There was an occasional quack from the animals but other than that and the noise of the water lapping at the side of the lake, it was completely quiet. The enclosure of the lake made the setting even more private than the cottage.

"I feel like we're the only two people on the planet." Ianto stated and turned to Jack.

"I know. It's lovely." Jack agreed. They sat in silence for a few more moments and continued to take in their surroundings.

"So...How do you feed a duck?" Ianto asked.

Jack raised an eyebrow. "How do you think you feed a duck?"

"Erm..." Ianto bit his bottom lip as he thought. "Do we have to get in the lake with them?"

"No." Jack shook his head and laughed.

"I really don't know." Ianto shrugged his shoulders.

"Really? Okay then, I'll tell you. To feed a duck, you throw bits of bread towards them." Jack explained and demonstrated by tearing off the corner of a slice of bread from in their bag and throwing it into the lake.

Ianto watched closely as lots of ducks suddenly homed in on the piece of bread.

"Can I have a go?" Ianto asked and turned to Jack with wide, child-like eyes.

"Sure." Jack handed the bag of bread to Ianto and watched as he imitated him and watched the ducks fight for the bread.

"I could do this all day!" Ianto exclaimed as he threw piece after piece of bread in the lake.

Jack laughed at his boyfriend's excitement. He was enjoying seeing Ianto so happy at such a small thing. It gave him so many more idea's for future holidays.

"Steady on, Ianto." Jack chuckled as he noticed how empty the bag was becoming. "Save some for later."

"Okay." Ianto folded over the top of the bag so no bread would fall out and leaned back a bit. "What else do you do at a lake?"

"Well we could try and tempt the ducks to come closer to us and we could try and catch them." Jack suggested.

Ianto shook his head. "No, I think they should stay in the lake."

"Are you scared of ducks, too?" Jack asked.

"No, I just think that they'd be afraid of us and I don't want to scare them." Ianto explained.

Jack nodded. "Okay then...What else would you like to do?"

Ianto grinned at Jack before leaning forward and pressing a tender kiss to his lips. He didn't want to feel uncomfortable with showing his love for Jack and this holiday seemed like the best place and time to get used to his relationship with Jack. They were completely alone. The holiday could be the perfect was to build upon their relationship and deal with any issues they may have; considering the fact that neither of them had actually had a proper relationship before, they were probably going to find that they had quite a few issues and problems that they had to work through. But Ianto had no doubt in his mind that they wouldn't be able to work through them together.

Jack placed his hand at the back of Ianto's head to deepen the kiss.

After a minute or so, Ianto pulled away and put his hand on Jack's knee.

"I love you, Jack." He said, sincerely.

Jack beamed. "I love you too."

* * *

I hope everybody enjoyed that chapter :) Please don't forget to review! :)


	36. Chapter 36

"Do you want to give the rest of the bread to the ducks?" Jack offered the bag to Ianto.

They had just finished eating the sandwiches that Ianto had made them for dinner and were still lounging on the blanket by the lake.

Ianto nodded enthusiastically and took the bag of bread from Jack. Ianto edged closer to the edge of the lake in order to throw pieces of bread for the ducks furthest away.

Jack watched him for a moment before he slowly and quietly stood up. Shuffling across the grass, Jack approached Ianto without being noticed. Once he was standing directly behind him, Jack positioned his hands behind Ianto's back. Pushing forward, Jack knocked Ianto off balance and instantly positioned his hands so when Ianto started to topple forward, he caught him and pulled him back.

Ianto's breath caught in his throat.

"Jack!" He gasped.

"Did I scare you?" Jack placed his chin on Ianto's shoulder and watched as Ianto continued throwing the remains of the bread for the ducks.

"Yes." Ianto said simply.

Jack laughed.

"I'll get you back." Ianto decided.

"Oh really?" Jack challenged.

"Yeah, I will. I'll get you back when you least expect it." Ianto turned in Jack's arms so they were face to face.

"Well I guess I'd better sleep with one eye open then, shall I?" Jack taunted.

Ianto wrapped his arms around Jack's neck and kissed him briefly. "If you really want to." Ianto glanced back at the ducks. "Can we go back to the cottage now?"

"Sure, why?" Jack took Ianto's hand and led him back to their blanket so they could pack everything away.

"I accidently threw a piece of bread off that duck's back and it's looking at me funny." Ianto pointed to one of the ducks.

"Ianto, how many times do I have to tell you, the duck's are not looking at you funny. They all look like that." Jack moaned.

"I don't like it." Ianto explained.

"I thought you liked animals?" Jack said as he picked up their bag and took Ianto's hand in his once again.

"I do." Ianto replied.

"What about that deer? And the ducks?" Jack raised an eyebrow.

"I like animals that I know are safe. The animals around here are wild. They could attack us for no reason." Ianto clarified.

"Not really..." Jack started.

"Yes really." Ianto interrupted.

"Okay." Jack laughed and let the matter lie. Ianto's fear of wild animals wasn't harming anyone so it didn't really matter why he had it.

"What are we going to do this afternoon?" Ianto asked as they walked back through the forest.

"We could go for a walk. There are some old farm shops not too far from our cottage." Jack suggested and turned his head to the side to see a deer. He tugged on Ianto's hand to signal for him to walk faster.

"That sounds good." Ianto agreed.

Jack looked glanced back subtly. "Let's walk a bit faster, I'm really cold."

Ianto looked at him. "Okay."

Jack stole another fleeting look back and was relieved to see that the deer was gone. He didn't really want Ianto seeing the deer and getting any more scared than he already was of wild animals.

"This holiday is so fun." Ianto stated.

"Of course it is." Jack laughed. "It's our first holiday together."

"You mean there's going to be more?" Ianto's face lit up.

"If you would care to accompany me." Jack smiled.

"Definitely!" Ianto exclaimed and squeezed Jack's hand. "We could come here every year." He mused.

"We don't always have to come here." Jack said.

"Where else would we go?" Ianto asked, genuinely puzzled.

"We could go anywhere." Jack grinned as they reached the opening of the trees and were standing at the back of their cottage.

"Like _where_?" Ianto asked. He wanted to listen to more tales of Jack's childhood holidays.

Jack thought for a moment as they walked around the cottage to the door. Jack held it open for Ianto and closed it again after they were both inside.

"We could go to London." Jack put forward.

"Ah! We could go to London!" Ianto repeated and beamed at Jack. "Could we go to Scotland?"

"Of course we could. We could go anywhere you wanted...as long as it was reasonable." Jack added on the end.

"How about...Paris?" Ianto tried.

"Oui, Monsieur." Jack replied.

Ianto's jaw dropped.

"You speak French?" Ianto gawped.

Shrugging his shoulders, Jack blushed slightly. "Not really." He quickly crossed the room to sit on the sofa.

Ianto followed his and sat next to him.

"Why are you blushing then?" He teased.

"I'm not blushing. It's just warm in here." Jack retorted.

"You're blushing, Jack." Ianto informed him.

"Okay, I'm blushing." Jack admitted.

"How do you say 'I love you' in French?" Ianto asked.

Jack paused for a moment before answering. "Je t'aime mon chérie."

"That means 'I love you'?" Ianto checked.

"If you translate it exactly, it means 'I love you my darling.'" Jack confirmed.

"Alright then. Jack, Je t'aime mon chérie." Ianto smiled.

"How do you say 'I love you' in Welsh?" Jack asked.

Ianto replied instantly. "Dwi'n dy garu di Cariad."

"Ianto, Dwi'n dy garu di Cariad." Jack looked directly into Ianto's eyes as he said this.

Ianto leaned forward and pressed a sweet, tender kiss to Jack's lips and slowly pulled away. "I want everything to stay like this."

"What do you mean?" Jack shook his head slightly and Ianto placed a hand on the back his neck to keep him close.

"I want everything to be like this even when we go back home." Ianto explained a bit more.

"I still don't understand." Jack shook his head again.

Ianto sighed. "I mean us. I want us to be like how it is now. When we go back home, I don't want us to be paranoid and worried that your mother will turn up and ruin everything. I want us to enjoy everything. I don't even know what I'm trying to say...It's just that ever since we got here, it's been...different. We've been able to relax." Ianto watched as Jack raised an eyebrow. "It was as if there was a huge weight on our...relationship...and it was stopping us from going anywhere."

"I think I understand now." Jack nodded. "With the threat of my mother gone, we can grow as a couple."

"Yeah." Ianto smiled. "What do you think?"

"I think you've said everything." Jack cupped Ianto's head in his hand and leaned forward again. "Dwi'n dy garu di forever Cariad." Jack whispered before kissing Ianto full on the mouth.

Ianto melted into the kiss. It felt familiar and new at the same time. It was reassuring, loving and said about a million things all at once.

********

Jack sat with Ianto's head in his lap. They had been back at the cottage for about two hours and were taking it easy for a bit and resting before they went out to the farm shops.

Ianto was snoring lightly and Jack was stroking his hair. The atmosphere was warm and cosy; it reminded Jack of a fairytale that Cassandra used to read to him when he was little, although he couldn't remember which one.

All of a sudden, Ianto stirred and startled Jack.

"Are you okay?" Jack asked as Ianto blinked a few times.

"Yeah, what time is it?" Ianto rubbed sleep from his eyes and slowly sat up.

"It's half past two." Jack replied.

Ianto chuckled. "Did you fall asleep too?"

Jack shook his head. "I was too busy watching you sleep."

"That is so cheesy, Jack." Ianto laughed.

"You love it really." Jack stood up and stretched.

"Yeah..." Ianto replied. He watched Jack as he stretched. As he raised his arms above his head, the shirt he was wearing rose up to reveal Jack's perfectly toned stomach. Ianto felt no shame in staring. Jack was his love; the same as he was Jack's.

Jack looked down at Ianto and grinned when he realised what he was staring at.

"Come on then, Ianto. Let's go to the farm shops." Jack walked over to the door and deliberately bent down so his behind was in the air when he was picking up his shoes.

Jack stood up in surprise when he felt a soft tap on his ass.

"Stop fooling around, Mr. Harkness. You have some sights to show me." Ianto gathered his own shoes.

"I was showing you one." Jack smirked.

"I didn't mean it like that." Ianto groaned. "Jack! I meant the farm shop."

Jack laughed. "I'm sorry, let's go to the farm shops."

Ianto smiled and began putting on his shoes. Even though he acted as though Jack's teasing was annoying, he actually quite enjoyed it. He was one of the few people who truly knew Jack and he loved him for who he is, not what he wanted him to be. And Jack felt the same way. Ianto was sure of this.

* * *

Don't forget to review people! :) Hope you enjoyed it!


	37. Chapter 37

"Seen anything you like, Ianto?" Jack snaked his hands around Ianto's waist and hugged him from behind.

"I like that ornament." Ianto pointed to a small ceramic ornament of two swans. There was a pale blue ribbon around the one on the left's neck and a similar pink ribbon on the one on the left. Their neck's crossed in what looked like an affectionate hug.

"Why don't you buy it?" Jack suggested.

Ianto hummed as he quickly thought about it. "I don't have much money left. Mrs. Harkness refused to pay me while I was being punished."

"I'll buy it for you." Jack started reaching across to pick up the swans when Ianto's hand stopped him.

"No thanks, Jack. I don't want to sponge off you." Ianto shook his head and turned away to leave the shop.

"Suit yourself." Jack mumbled.

Ianto smiled at Jack. He was grateful that he had a boyfriend who cared for him so much but he was even happier that Jack was starting to listen to him about money. He didn't want to feel like he was constantly in debt to Jack. He owed him enough already.

"It's a bit too hot in here." Ianto stated.

"Why don't you wait outside? I won't be long." Jack insisted.

As soon as the door closed behind Ianto, Jack turned to the shopkeeper and grinned.

********

"I'm done." Jack strolled out of the shop, looked up at the blue sky and draped his arm around Ianto's shoulders.

"Did you see anything you liked?" Ianto asked and wrapped his arm around Jack's waist in an attempt to get closer to him.

"I did, actually." Jack nodded.

Ianto silently waited for Jack to tell him what he'd seen and when it became apparent that Jack had no intention of continuing, he nudged him.

"Yes?" Jack turned his head towards Ianto and raised an eyebrow.

"What did you get?" Ianto asked.

"I'm not telling you." Jack laughed.

"Why not?" Ianto pouted.

"I'm not telling you why not either." Jack smirked.

"Fine." Ianto shrugged his shoulders.

They walked the rest of the way back to the cottage in a comfortable silence. Ianto spent most of the walk there talking to Jack about how fun the holiday has been and he didn't take much notice of his surroundings. Now that he wasn't distracted, he was able to enjoy the countryside.

They eventually arrived back at the cottage. Jack hurried straight to their bedroom whilst Ianto pulled off his shoes.

"What are you doing?" Ianto called.

"Nothing." Jack grinned as he re-emerged.

Ianto nodded slowly, unconvinced. He decided to let the matter lie. Jack would tell him in his own time.

The rest of the day passed quickly. They both felt exhausted and relaxed on the sofa in front of the fire for the rest of the evening.

********

Friday afternoon.

Jack scanned the cottage for the fifth time.

"Jack, we have packed everything." Ianto sighed.

"Will you check the bedroom one more time for me?" Jack looked helplessly over at Ianto.

"If that's what makes you happy." Ianto laughed and headed towards the bedroom.

Looking around, Ianto couldn't see anything that they had forgotten to pack. However, he slowly surveyed the room to make Jack happy. He stopped suddenly when he noticed something on his pillow.

It small and white with slight blue and pink near the middle. Ianto walked closer and picked up the ornament.

"Do you like it?" Jack leaned against the door frame and watched as Ianto's face lit up.

"Oh Jack!" Ianto rushed across the room and wrapped his arms threw his arms around Jack's neck. "Was that what you wouldn't tell me on Tuesday?"

"Yes. I wanted it to be a surprise for you. The one with the blue ribbon on is me and the pink is you." Jack murmured into Ianto's neck as he held him close.

"Whatever you want, Jack." Ianto pulled away as he heard the sound of a car pulling up outside. "It really is beautiful."

"I know something else that's really beautiful." Jack smiled and led Ianto back into the living room to collect their bags.

"Jaaack!" Ianto groaned.

"You should really learn how to take a compliment." Jack stated.

The driver stood patiently outside until Jack and Ianto appeared at the doorway. Upon seeing them, he hurried to help them with their bags. Once everything was carefully packed into the car, they set off.

********

"Did you enjoy your holiday, Master Jones?" The driver glanced at Ianto in his rear view mirror.

Ianto paused. "I did, thank you." He nodded and smiled. Being called 'Master' wasn't something that he felt that he could get used to.

Jack held Ianto hand between them. "Are you still insisting on starting your servant duties when we get back?"

"Yes. I have to do something in return for Cassandra's kindness. She's been far too good to me. It would be ungrateful of me if I didn't." Ianto answered honestly and looked over at Jack. "Don't worry, Jack. Cassandra said that I'm not getting many duties. I think I'm just tidying up after us two to be honest. I wonder why I'm cleaning only our mess..."

"Maybe she wanted to give us a bit more privacy. You know, it would get a bit annoying if another servant started going through our room. It'll be more like we live alone together. I don't have to worry about leaving my things lying around. Or leaving notes for you on your pillow." Jack grinned at the thought of not having to hide themselves.

"You do have to worry about leaving your things lying around, Jack. I have to clean them up, remember? I don't want to start cleaning our room and find that you've left your underwear all over the floor." Ianto mock scolded.

Jack smiled mischievously and turned to look out of the window. The smile quickly disappeared as he thought about returning back home.

"Back to reality." Jack sighed.

Ianto shook his head and Jack raised an eyebrow.

"Sure, it's back to reality but it's not a bad reality. If we were heading back to Mrs. Harkness' 'reality', I would understand you not wanting to go back. We've got it made with Cassandra." Ianto explained.

Jack mulled over Ianto's words for the rest of the journey home. When he eventually climbed out of the car, he was greeted by Cassandra's arms wrapping around him and Ianto as she pulled her two boys close.

"It's so good to have you boys back." She said into their necks. "Did you enjoy yourselves?"

Ianto nodded enthusiastically and quickly began recapping their holiday for Cassandra as she pulled away.

It was then that Jack realised that Ianto was right. They had more than he'd ever dared dream of.

* * *

Yet again, I'm really sorry for taking so long to write more chapters. I appreciate all the support. Please don't forget to review! :)


	38. Chapter 38

Saturday morning.

Jack slowly opened his eyes to the sun filling his and Ianto's bedroom. They'd spent all of yesterday unpacking and telling Cassandra exactly what they did and catching up on anything they'd missed when they were away.

Jack glanced at the clock. 7:58am. Smiling, Jack rolled over and draped an arm across the bed.

"Ianto?" Jack moved his arm around the empty bed as if his boyfriend would suddenly appear if he touched the sheets.

"I'm in the bathroom, Jack!" Ianto called back.

Sitting up, Jack yawned. "What are you doing up? I thought we were going to have a lie in today. You know, attempt to extend the holiday?"

"Well I decided that I should start my duties today. I've already spent ages recovering." Ianto appeared at the doorway with a toothbrush in his mouth and towel around his waist.

Jack grinned at the sight before him.

"Jaaack!" Ianto groaned.

"What?" Jack asked innocently.

"You know what." Ianto narrowed his eyed.

"Actually I don't." Jack replied. "I was simply admiring the view of my gorgeous boyfriend."

Ianto blushed slightly at the word 'boyfriend' and went back into the bathroom to finish brushing his teeth. The subject of exactly what their relationship was wasn't a topic that Ianto wished to talk about. He was still getting used to showing any sort of affection in public. The holiday had helped him loads. He felt happy to hold Jack's hand in public but taking the compliments was hard. No matter how much Jack told him that he wasn't just the 'servant boy', he found it hard to believe. Jack was from a respectable, if a little shallow and unloving, well-to-do family. Whereas, he didn't even know any of his family. Over time, Ianto hoped that the insecurities would go away.

Ianto looked at himself in the bathroom mirror. It may not even take that long; he thought to himself, Jack has been disowned by his parents so he's not as rich as he was. They were almost equal in terms of money. He didn't want Jack to be poor, he just felt stupid when he was unable to repay Jack for all the things he received off him.

He still has Cassandra, Ianto thought, it's not like he has _nothing._

"I'm just going to have a quick wash and then I'll come with you to see Cassandra." Jack said as he entered the bathroom.

"Thanks Jack but I'd rather do this by myself. Why don't you go and find something to occupy yourself with." Ianto suggested.

"Like what?" Jack raised his eyebrows.

"I don't know." Ianto quickly gave it some thought. "Why don't you sit by the pond or something?"

"I don't want to sit by the pond without you." Jack whined.

"Jack, you're not making this easy, are you?" Ianto put his hand on his hip. His eyes widened as he felt the towel start to slip. Removing his hand from his hip, he grabbed desperately for the towel and only just caught it before it fell off completely. "Don't even say anything."

"I wasn't going to." Jack smirked.

"Of course you weren't." Ianto ridiculed him.

They finished getting ready in silence when Ianto suddenly thought of something for Jack to do.

"Why don't you write a diary?" Ianto suggested.

"A diary?" Jack questioned.

"Yeah, I've kept a diary ever since I was really little." Ianto nodded. "You should keep one too."

"Hmm...Or I could write a book!" Jack eyes widened with excitement at his amazing idea.

"Really? What would you write a book about?" Ianto asked.

"Now that would be telling." Jack grinned mischievously, sauntered out of the bathroom and left Ianto to ponder about his book.

********

"Alright then, Ianto. I've been thinking about your duties while you were away and I thought we would start you off finishing yours and Jack's washing from your holiday. After you've done that, I would like you to tidy up your bedroom and bathroom." Cassandra had a sheet of paper in her hands with a list of all the servant's duties on for the rest of the week. It was about to be pinned to the notice board in the servant's supply room.

"Is that everything?" Ianto asked. It was nothing like what he had to do at Linda Harkness' house.

Cassandra nodded. "Ianto honey, I'm only giving you servant duties because you want them. At first, I intended for you to become a servant here but be able to live with Jack at the same time but I've started thinking of you as my son and I don't mind if you don't work for me whilst living here."

"Really?" Ianto raised his eyebrows. He hadn't realised that Cassandra didn't expect him to work. "I just couldn't take your hospitality for granted like that."

"If you insist on working, I'm not going to stop you but I'm not having you working like before. What duties do you expect?" Cassandra asked.

Ianto thought for a moment. "I would expect to help cook meals, clean the house and serve drinks at parties."

"My house doesn't work the same as Linda's. The meals here are cooked by the servants but the servants also eat with us. Yes, the house is cleaned by servants but you're being assigned your own area within the house to clean. The rest is not your responsibility. As for serving drinks at parties, you will be one of the hosts at the parties, not serving at it. You are part of the family." Cassandra explained.

"Oh," Ianto mumbled and mulled over what she'd said. "So I just need to keep mine and Jack's room tidy and do our washing?"

Cassandra nodded.

"Are you sure you don't want me doing anything else?" Ianto asked.

"I'm positive, Ianto." Cassandra smiled. "Now the quicker you get your jobs done, the quicker you can go and spend time with Jack. Actually, what is Jack doing?"

"He's going to write a book." Ianto replied, simply.

Cassandra laughed at the thought of Jack sitting still and writing a book all day.

"What is he going to write about?" Cassandra chuckled.

"I asked that but he said that he's not going to tell me." Ianto mock pouted.

"Oh well, we'll just have to wait and see then, won't we?" Cassandra quickly led Ianto to the laundry room. "I'm assuming you know how to do laundry, yes?"

Ianto nodded.

"That's good. You'll find everything you need in here. There's a washing line in the yard. That's just through that door there." Cassandra pointed at the door to their right. "When you're done, make sure your bedroom is tidy and then you're finished."

Ianto nodded again and Cassandra left him to it.

********

Ianto was onto his last load of washing when he heard the door open.

"Hi." Someone greeted him from the doorway.

Ianto grinned at the sound of the voice. Spinning around, Ianto confirmed his suspicions.

"Hi, Jack." Ianto wrapped his arms around Jack's neck as Jack snaked his around Ianto's waist.

"Having fun?" Jack asked.

"Of course, I'm washing our clothes. What could be more fun?" Ianto replied, sarcastically.

"Well, I can think of a few things..." Jack started.

"Jaaack!" Ianto interrupted him.

"What? I was going to say sitting by the pond, feeding the ducks or eating ice cream on the beach." Jack laughed innocently.

"I agree about the pond and the ducks and the beach but not the ice cream. I hate ice cream. It's too cold and gives me headaches." Ianto scrunched his face up slightly.

Jack forgot what he was talking about as he gazed into Ianto's eyes. The simple, pure blueness was enough to make him loose his concentration instantly.

"What?" Ianto asked when Jack didn't reply.

"So beautiful..." Jack whispered as his lips met Ianto's. Pulling away slightly, Jack breathed lightly and pressed his lips back to Ianto's softly. Ianto smiled into the kiss and put his hands behind Jack's head to hold him in place. It was unexpected kisses like this that made Ianto's heart pound inside his chest.

"Oh!" The boys quickly pulled away and stood awkwardly as Carys looked at them from the doorway; she was clearly shocked. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to interrupt..."

"It's fine. Don't worry about it. I was just about to leave." Jack reassured her and turned back to Ianto. Lowering his voice so only his boyfriend could hear, Jack whispered "I love you."

Carys watched as Ianto's face lit up. She narrowed her eyes as Jack quickly brushed past her and out of the room. What did he say to him?

As Ianto turned back to her, she swiftly smiled.

"He didn't need to leave on my behalf." She told him.

"I have work to do; he was just trying to distract me because he's bored." Ianto explained and turned back to the rest of his washing.

"So, what other duties have you got?" Carys asked.

"I just need to do mine and Jack's washing and make sure our bedroom and bathroom is clean." Ianto answered.

"Is that all?" Carys' mouth fell open.

"I know! That's what I said." Ianto smiled at her, warmly. "Well, I'm finished. I'll leave you to do your washing. Talk to you later."

"Bye." Carys watched sweetly as Ianto left the laundry room. As soon as she was sure he was gone, her face dropped into a scowl and she sneered. "Who does he think he is?"

* * *

Hope you enjoyed the next chapter! :) Please don't forget to review!


	39. Chapter 39

"How's the book coming along?" Ianto asked as he walked into his bedroom with a basket of dry laundry.

"It's going great!" Jack grinned and quickly placed the paper face-down on the bed.

"Are you going to tell me the plot yet?" Ianto put the basket down and sat next to Jack on the bed.

Jack's eyes widened slightly and he mumbled something to himself.

Ianto raised his eyebrows at Jack and shook his head to indicate that he hadn't caught what Jack had said.

"I said, haven't you got work to do?" Jack blushed.

"Nope. I'm all finished. Isn't it great? All my jobs only took a couple of hours." Ianto beamed.

"That's so great. So...what jobs did you do?" Jack smiled shakily.

"Well first I tidied up....hang on, stop trying to change the subject! I want to know about your book." Ianto reached forward to grab the stack of paper on the bed.

"No!" Jack lunged forward and grabbed the paper before Ianto and hugged it to his chest so he couldn't see.

"Jack, why won't you let me see your book?" Ianto asked seriously.

Jack sighed. He could tell that he had upset Ianto and he felt awful about it.

"Fine. You want to see my book? Here." Jack passed the paper to Ianto.

Ianto smiled as he took it and turned it over. After a couple of seconds, he turned the paper over again.

"Jack?"

"Yes?"

"There's nothing here." Ianto looked up, confused.

"Exactly. It's too hard to write a book. All the good ideas have already been done!" Jack complained.

Ianto gave Jack his paper back and looked around, thoughtfully.

"Why don't you just write a diary? It'll be an interesting story and you've got a lot that you could say with your mother and all. Like I said before, I've kept a diary ever since I was little. It'll be like a book based on a true story." Ianto put his hand on Jack's shoulder.

"Yeah. I might try that." Jack nodded slowly and placed his own hand over Ianto's. "I'll start tomorrow."

"Why tomorrow?" Ianto asked.

"Well you're finished your jobs for the day, we should do something together." Jack put the idea forward.

Ianto smiled and laughed. "Yeah but what should we do?"

"I don't know." Jack's face looked slightly blank. He hadn't actually thought about what they should do. Just that they should do something.

Ianto faked a gasp. "Jack Harkness doesn't know? I am shocked."

Jack laughed. "What would you like to do?"

Ianto thought for a short while.

Finally, he looked at Jack. "I think we should just stay here."

"Really?" Jack looked confused. Ianto was never one to do nothing.

"Yeah, we should just relax. We can talk about stuff and just be a couple." Ianto grinned.

"Okay then." Jack rearranged the pillows behind him and on Ianto's side. He leaned back and pulled Ianto towards him. After wriggling around a bit, they both settled. Ianto lay snug against Jack's side with his head resting comfortably on Jack's chest; he could hear the soft thump thump beating of Jack's heart and smiled to himself as his head rose up and down with Jack's chest.

"What do you want to talk about?" Jack asked. He was so content with just lying with Ianto, he would talk about anything.

"Hmm..." Ianto hummed against Jack's chest. "When did decide that you loved me?"

Jack chuckled softly; he now had his eyes closed. "I would say when I first laid eyes on you but when I first laid eyes on you, I was stuck with my mother and concentrating hard on being the son that she thought I was. However, you did grab my attention that day at my mother's party when you offered us drinks. You looked stunning. But I was confused; according to the Jack that my mother wanted me to be, I should never have had any sort of feelings like that towards you. So I dismissed them." Jack sighed deeply and Ianto snaked an arm around Jack's waist in an attempt to snuggle closer. "The next time I saw you, I took one look at you and threw up all over my bed. I was too ill to even realise who you were. So it wasn't love at first sight. But I can tell you, when I was confined to my bed, I spoke to Cassandra on a few occasions about you and how I felt about you. I think when I tried to tell you how I felt and you interrupted me because you saw how nervous I was. I think that was the moment when I realised that I love you." Jack's voice had gradually got quieter whilst he was speaking and now his breathing was heavy and Ianto could tell that he was almost asleep.

Moving as carefully as possible, Ianto reached over to the bottom of the bed and grabbed the thin blanket that was folded up there.

"Mm, Ianto?" Jack mumbled as he felt the weight lift off his chest.

"Shh..." Ianto hushed him and pulled the blanket up over them both before replacing himself at Jack's side with his head on his chest and arm draped over his stomach.

Within seconds, both men were asleep.

********

Carys walked quickly and quietly upstairs. Jack and Ianto's bedroom door was shut but she could hear no voices or any sign of movement from within the room.

Glancing around, she gripped the door handle tightly and twisted. The door opened silently and Carys was just about to enter when she spotted the two sleeping figures under the blanket.

She watched for a moment to make sure that they were asleep and hadn't seen her. Once satisfied that Jack and Ianto were, indeed, asleep. Carys took a step back and pulled the door shut. Taking a deep breath, she hurried back downstairs before anybody noticed that she was gone. Her plan would have to wait for now.

*******

Jack jerked awake. He had heard a bang and was slightly disorientated. Looking around quickly. He remembered where he was and was sure that there was just him and Ianto in the room.

Turning to Ianto, he grinned at how peaceful his boyfriend looked. Jack placed a soft kiss to his forehead and wrapped his arms around him to draw him closer.

Sighing contently, Jack went back to sleep.

* * *

Thanks for reading! Please review and let me know what you think :D


	40. Chapter 40

"Hmm..." Ianto rolled over and blinked twice before rubbing sleep from his eyes.

Sunlight was streaming through the window when he fell asleep. Now the room was dark and Ianto couldn't see anything clearly.

"Jack?" He mumbled and rolled over to see his boyfriend lying beside him.

Jack mumbled incoherently and looked around, confused. Upon seeing Ianto, Jack's features relaxed and he placed his hand on Ianto's arm.

"You okay, Yan?" Jack asked, his voice groggy with sleep.

"Yeah I'm fine. We slept through the day." Ianto swung his legs over the side of the bed to get up.

"Where are you going?" Jack sat up and reached for Ianto's forearm.

"Calm down, Jack. I'm only going to the toilet." Ianto laughed and quickly headed into their bathroom.

Jack settled back into bed and checked the bedside clock. It was 10:34pm. Just as he was dozing off again, he felt the bed dip beside him. Ianto's warm body snuggled back up to him as he wriggling into the covers. Sighing contently, he fell asleep for the second time that day with the one he loved resting on and against his body.

*******

Sunday morning.

"Do you want me to wake Ianto up so he can do his jobs?" Carys asked Cassandra as she put the breakfast dishes away.

"He's already up." Carys gave Cassandra a puzzled look. "He's with Jack. They've been up since the crack of dawn. I don't really know why, I thought they'd want to lie in on Sundays. But apparently not this Sunday." Cassandra shrugged her shoulders. She was unaware that her two boys had slept all through yesterday as well as last night.

Carys nodded thoughtfully. "Where are they now?"

"I think they went out for breakfast just over an hour ago. They packed a basket so I'm assuming that they went out for an early morning picnic." Cassandra concentrated on her cup of tea and dismissed Carys' unusual questions.

"Well, I'm going to go and tidy up around the house." Carys placed the dish towel back on its rack, removed her apron and replaced it with a white pinafore that she used when cleaning up.

"Okay, my dear." Cassandra nodded and opened the morning newspaper that Sam had left on the table.

Carys quickly left the kitchen and hurried upstairs towards Jack and Ianto's empty room.

*******

"I feel so awake today." Ianto grinned as he finished eating.

"I'm not surprised." Jack chuckled. "I don't think I've ever slept for so long."

"Me neither." Ianto shuffled closer to Jack and placed his head on his shoulder.

After waking up at 5am, Jack and Ianto had decided to go on an early morning picnic by the lake not too far from Cassandra's house. As it was Sunday, Cassandra had said it was fine for Ianto to do his jobs later than normal.

Jack placed a soft kiss to the top of Ianto's head before pushing him away gently. Ianto looked at him, hurt.

"Ianto..." Jack started. "You know I love you, right?"

Ianto nodded and glanced down as Jack took both his hands in his own.

"Well I..." Jack stopped again, unsure of how to continue. After starting and stopping a few more times, he gave up and cut to the chase. "I want to give you this."

Jack produced a gold ring from his left pocket, turning it between his fingertips once before he carefully pushed it onto Ianto's finger.

Ianto sat in silence; he was completely speechless. Nothing would have prepared him for this. The ring was simple as it had no design. It was a plain, gold band. It was all Ianto wanted.

"Jack, it's beautiful." Ianto leaned forward and pressed his lips to Jack's harshly. The kiss, to Jack, said everything. Pulling away, Ianto examined his ring. "When did you get it?"

"I've had it for quite a while actually. It was Cassandra's husband's ring. She kept it when he died and because she only had two daughters, she gave it to me and told me that I had to keep it safe; safe until I found somebody I love like the way she loved her husband. Then I must give it to my love and it will bring happiness and good fortune to our relationship." Jack explained and watched delighted as Ianto grinned at his ring.

"This means so much to me." Ianto quickly wiped at his eyes as he felt them filling up. He hoped that Jack hadn't noticed. "I love you, Jack"

"I know, Yan." Jack grinned and wiped the escaped tear from Ianto's cheek.

Ianto regained control of his emotions quickly and shuffled to the position they were in before Jack had given him the ring. Jack's arm was around Ianto and Ianto's head upon his shoulder.

They sat like that for another half an hour before packing up their picnic and heading home.

*******

Carys opened the bedroom door with more care than last time. Yes, Cassandra had said that the boys were out; but after yesterday's close call, she wanted to be completely sure.

No noise could be heard except her own laboured breathing. No sleeping figures beneath the covers and no sign of them anywhere else.

Carys began searching the room. She didn't know what exactly she was looking for but knew if she kept looking, she would.

Although she was angry, Carys was careful to replace everything that she moved in the exact place she found it.

Carys emerged from the bathroom and was heading towards the dresser when she heard Jack's voice downstairs. Panicking, Carys glanced around the room once to ensure everything was in place and ran silently to the door and pulled it closed behind her. The search would have to wait. Straightening her pinafore, she walked calmly and inconspicuously down the corridor and down the stairs.

"Hi boys." She smiled warmly at them and carried on into the kitchen.

Jack and Ianto had nodded their greetings. They weren't given a chance to do anything else as Cassandra had appeared and spotted the ring on Ianto's finger.

She ushered the boys into the living room so she could fuss over Ianto and quiz them about the circumstances of which Jack gave Ianto the ring.

"Tell me _everything_." Cassandra grinned as she sat on the sofa, Jack and Ianto on either side of her.

* * *

Thanks for reading and reviewing so far. Please don't forget to keep reviewing :D


	41. Chapter 41

The boys had spent a little over an hour describing their morning, in great detail, to Cassandra. They had been done half an hour ago but Cassandra wanted to hear it again. Ianto was amazed at the fact that Jack had given him a ring, but he was more amazed at how he actually had somebody else who was just as interested to see how his and Jack's relationship was going. Back at Linda's house, nobody, except Sam, would have cared if Ianto was given a ring, never mind want to hear the story...twice!

Dinner was being prepared in the kitchen and would be ready at about 1pm. As it was still only 11:30am, Jack decided he would lend a hand and improve his cooking skills whilst Ianto tried to get his jobs done before dinner.

Ianto quickly went into his and Jack's room and placed his ring in the top drawer of the bedside cabinet. He would put it back on after his jobs. He didn't want to ruin it when he had just got it. Until he'd finished his jobs, it would stay safe in the drawer with the notes Jack had wrote for him while they were on holiday.

Smiling to himself, Ianto closed the drawer and grabbed all the dirty laundry. There wasn't much that belonged to him and Jack but he had offered to do Sam's laundry for him this week to give his best friend a bit of a break. As he left the room, he turned straight towards the stairs and headed towards the laundry room without looking around; he hadn't noticed Carys standing at the other end of the corridor.

As soon as Ianto disappeared at the bottom of the stairs, Carys walked calmly towards the door of Jack and Ianto's room. There was no need to hurry. Ianto would be at least an hour doing the laundry and Jack would probably delay dinner in attempting to help. She had plenty of time to search properly and be able to put everything back where she found it.

Carys paused when she reached the door; her hand on the door knob, she stared at the wood. Should she REALLY be searching through Jack and Ianto's things? There could be private things. Things only Jack and Ianto were meant to see.

Carys seriously considered turning around and leaving the boys to live their life but just as her hand let go of the door knob, her curiosity got the better of her and she quickly entered the room.

She had already searched the bathroom last time so it would be a waste of time to look again. Glancing around the room, she noticed the drawer in the bedside cabinet open slightly.

Hurrying forward, Carys pulled the drawer all the way open and sat on the edge of the bed. The first thing that caught her attention was the emptiness of the drawer. There were a few pieces of paper scattered across the bottom of the drawer and a gold ring lay delicately on top. That was it.

Carys was just about to close the drawer and search somewhere else when she noticed some writing on one of the pieces of paper. Picking it up, she noticed that all the other pieces of paper were folded in half, just like this one; and like this one, they all had Ianto penned on the front. Turning her attention fully to the note in her hand, she began to read it.

_Ianto,_

_I'm writing this as you lie asleep next to me. You look so peaceful and happy; I didn't have the heart to wake you to tell you that you are my everything. More so now than ever before. I know this little vacation was supposed to be about the two of us only but I need to tell you this. I feel that, maybe, telling you in the form of a letter will be easier that trying to tell you face to face. Reading back over what I've just wrote, I realise that I may have given you the wrong impression there. What I have to say is nothing bad. I suppose I'd better spit it out, eh? No point dragging it out. What I want to tell you is that before I met you, I thought I would be happy marrying Jessica. My mother approved of her and that's all I thought mattered. But then you came along; with your brown hair and dreamy blue eyes. To me, you were are 6 foot of pure perfection. The point I'm trying to make is that if you weren't brave enough to tell me that you liked me that afternoon, I probably wouldn't have acted upon my feelings. I was going to try but I was so close to saying something else and trying to forget about you. What I'm trying to say is thank you for everything you've done for me. I appreciate it more than you'll ever know. I love you._

_Yours forever,_

_Jack_

_xxx_

Carys placed the note back in the drawer and picked up the ring. She turned it over in her fingers and studied it. It looked vaguely familiar but she couldn't remember where she had seen it before. She decided to dismiss the ring for the time being. Ianto may end up telling her about it later.

Shuffling some more of the papers, Carys randomly chose one and unfolded it. She absently started biting her thumb nail as she read.

_My darling Ianto,_

_I've been awake for a little over half an hour now and yet again I am mesmerized by your beauty as you sleep. There's only one thing that's wrong with this picture: you're not watching it with me. At this very moment, you're smiling. Your face is radiating tender happiness and it makes me wonder what you're dreaming about and whether I look like that when I dream about you...You also make me wonder..._

Somebody cleared their throat at the door and Carys' head snapped up to see who it was.

Ianto's face was dark. Carys had known him for a short while now and knew it was unusual for him to actually get mad with somebody.

"What are you doing?" His voice seemed calm but Carys could tell that if she didn't play her cards right, there was going to be trouble.

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	42. Chapter 42

"Ianto!" Carys gasped. "I was just cleaning up..."

Ianto scoffed. "Yeah, of course you were." Ianto took a deep breath and glanced around quickly to see what else Carys had been searching through. "Why are you going through my things?"

Carys tried desperately to come up with an excuse that was buyable. Jack could not know about this. If he found out, he would without a doubt tell Cassandra and she would definitely lose her job and home.

The short silence between them felt like forever and Carys was unable to think of an excuse so she settled on the truth.

"You think you're so loved, don't you?" She sneered. "So lucky to find Jack; your soul mate." Carys barked a laugh. "Well, Ianto, I've got some news for you."

Ianto stood his ground as Carys took a step forward. He knew what she was saying was a lie but it was taking so much self control to stop himself from caving in and believing her.

"You are just part of Jack's plan for attention. He loves being the centre of it and you, my fellow servant, are just part of his scheme." Carys looked Ianto up and down, trying to figure out if what she was saying was effecting him or not. So far, she couldn't tell. "He gave you a ring, didn't he?"

Ianto nodded, warily.

"Told you he loved you?" Carys continued.

Again, Ianto nodded.

Carys half snorted. "You're not the first, you know. He's done this before. Feeds his "victim" with all this crap about the ring being Cassandra's husband and it will bring happiness and good fortune to your relationship yadda yadda yadda..."

Carys turned away dramatically and smiled secretly to herself; she was so glad that she eavesdropped on the boys early otherwise she would have no ammunition against Ianto.

"I give it a week." Carys stated.

"Give what a week?" Ianto asked.

"This thing you two have going on. Your 'relationship'" Carys sneered. "I give it a week before he dramatically breaks up with you and throws you out on the street. He'll spin some realistic, harsh story about how he found you cheating on him and cry to Cassandra that you never really loved him; you just used him for his money and when Linda threw you both out, you lost interest because he had nothing."

"Jack wouldn't do that." Ianto shook his head mostly in disbelief that he was still standing there listening to her lies.

"Believe me, honey, he would." Carys smiled apologetically. "He won't be affected one bit by this situation. He'll just go back to his mammy and tell her how sorry he is and that he's came to his senses..."

"Carys!" Ianto cut her off. "I don't believe anything you're saying and even if I did, it still doesn't explain why you're going through my things."

Carys sneered. "I was looking for the ring. I wanted to know if it was the same ring as the one he gave the last boy."

Ianto shook his head. "Get out."

Carys raised an eyebrow. "Do you really think you can handle Jack? Trust me Ianto, you need me."

"I said get out. Now." Ianto pointed towards the door with his thumb.

Carys let out an angry laugh and walked slowly past Ianto, knocking into his shoulder in the process.

"Don't say I didn't warn you." Carys said and hurried away from Jack and Ianto's room.

Ianto sighed deeply and closed the bedroom door. He was almost certain that Jack wasn't like that. He wouldn't just do something like that for attention. He hadn't known him for long but he was sure of one thing: his feelings for him were completely sincere.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Ianto picked up the ring that Carys had dropped there. Rolling it between his fingers, Ianto mused on what Carys had said. After half an hour, he decided upon two things. One: Carys was a liar. Two: He had to find out what she was up to. The only real question was, should he tell Jack?

Ianto replaced the ring on his finger and looked at it. The delicate gold looked good against his skin. If Jack hadn't already told him that it had once belonged to Cassandra's husband, he would be tempted to believe that it was made for him.

Just then, Jack walked into the bedroom.

"Hey," Jack smiled when he saw Ianto sitting on the bed. Quickly covering the distance between them, Jack pressed a quick kiss to Ianto's cheek. "What you doing?"

Ianto shook his head absently. "Just thinking."

Jack grinned and sat down next to him. "What about?"

Ianto turned to face Jack and their gazes met.

"You do love me, right?" Ianto asked. He felt stupid for asking but he had to make sure.

"Of course I do." Jack wrapped an arm around Ianto's shoulder and pulled him in a bit closer. "What made you doubt that?"

"Ah it's nothing, I just wanted to make sure." Ianto smiled and placed his head on Jack's shoulder.

They sat like that for a few minutes, enjoying each other's company before Ianto sat up properly. He turned to face Jack again and once he was sure he had his full attention, he leaned forward and kissed him fully on the mouth.

Jack was slightly taken aback by the spontaneous kiss but quickly got over it and responded eagerly.

Ianto moved his hand to the back of Jack's head and ran his fingers through the thick brown hair.

Jack moaned into the kiss and wrapped his arms around Ianto in an attempt to pull him closer. The kiss quickly became heated before Jack pulled away slightly and looked into Ianto's eyes.

He cupped Ianto's face in his hands and pressed his lips tenderly to his boyfriend's. He let out a low chuckle as he felt the corner's of Ianto's lips turn upwards in a smile.

"Mmm, Ianto. You are so beautiful." Jack smiled lovingly. "And you're so mine."

Ianto laughed sweetly at the corniness of Jack's words but couldn't deny that they overwhelmed him.

Ianto quickly pulled Jack in for another kiss and attempted to hide the tears that were beginning to form in his eyes.

The decision was made. He would find out what Carys was up to alone. Jack had been through enough and he deserved to be happy. After all Jack had done for him, dealing with Carys by himself was the least he could do, right?

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Sorry again for taking so long to update...it was exam season... :( but it's finished now. :D So thanks for reading and don't forget to review! :)


	43. Chapter 43

It was Sunday evening. Jack and Ianto had spent most of their afternoon lazing around in their room. Nobody had come to disturb them as Cassandra had made it pretty clear that Jack and Ianto's room was off-limits to all servants.

Ianto lay rolled over on the bed to see Jack dozing lightly. His chest rose and dropped quickly as he rested. Clad only in a pair of raggy black trousers, Jack looked so bare. To Ianto, he didn't look like a rich boy anymore. He looked equal to himself. Ianto smiled and slid an arm over Jack's stomach and pressed a tender kiss to his chest before placing his head upon it gently.

Jack stirred and felt Ianto snuggling up to him; moving his arm, he pulled Ianto in closer so both men were more comfortable and instantly drifted off back to sleep.

"I want to do something nice for Jack and Ianto." Cassandra stated as Carys walked into the living area.

"Oh?" Carys sat down next to Cassandra on the sofa and took a keen interest in what she had to say.

"Yes. I think maybe a party. You know, to celebrate them." Cassandra looked slightly confused at her own choice of words. "Sort of like an engagement party but not...I don't think I'm making much sense here, Carys."

Laughing lightly, Carys shook her head. "I think I understand, miss. They can't have a proper engagement party because they aren't allowed to be engaged. So you want to throw them a party to celebrate their relationship, not a marriage?"

Cassandra beamed. "That's exactly what I meant. I think it should be a surprise party. Do not tell Jack or Ianto anything about it." Carys nodded, obediently. "So, what do you think about the idea of a party?"

Carys shrugged. "Do you really think they'd want a party? I mean, neither of them actually has any friends. Who would you invite?"

"Of course they have friends!" Cassandra frowned. "Sam is Ianto's best friend. I'm sure if I gave Jessica a ring, she'd be more than happy to attend. They did end their 'relationship' on good terms."

"Wow! Two people..." Carys laughed, sarcastically.

Cassandra's brow furrowed. "I'm sure if I had some time I would be able to think of some more."

Carys grinned slyly as Cassandra started writing a guest list.

"Why don't you invite Linda and Paul Harkness? I'm sure they'd be delighted to receive an invitation to celebrate Jack and Ianto being together." Carys quickly wiped the smile of her face and turned serious.

The pen in Cassandra's hand fell to the floor.

"I'm sorry, Carys, is this all a big joke to you? Those boys have been to hell and back just to be together. I'd like to see you do that much for the person you love. If you aren't going to make any serious suggestions, I'd like you to get back to your duties please." Cassandra picked up her pen and continued writing names on the list.

Without a word, Carys stood up, straightened her pinafore and quickly exited the room; leaving Cassandra to plan her precious party for her precious boys.

Once the door was closed, Carys sneered to herself.

"Fight for who you love...Pfft! What does she think I've been doing?" Carys shook her head. "She'll be throwing MINE and Jack's party soon..."

A knock on the door shocked Ianto out of his slumber. Turning, he noticed that Jack was in a deep sleep and would, without a doubt, sleep through the knocking on the door.

Sighing, Ianto removed himself from Jack's chest and clambered out of bed to answer the door.

"Sorry to disturb you, Ianto." Cassandra stood at their door in her nightwear.

"That's okay; we should have woke up ages ago..." Ianto rubbed his eyes sleepily and yawned. It was obvious by looking at Cassandra's clothes that he and Jack had slept through most of the evening.

"I was just wondering, apart from Sam, who is your closet friend?" Cassandra asked.

Ianto raised his eyebrow and thought. "It would probably be Jack."

Cassandra let out a small chuckle. "It can't be anybody that lives in this house."

"Why?" Ianto asked, suspiciously.

"I'm just wondering." Cassandra lamely said.

"Okay...Well, the only other people I've met are the servants at the Harkness household so probably one of them. I don't really know which one though..." Ianto answered and rubbed the side of his face thoughtfully.

Cassandra nodded. "Right. Thank you. Good night!"

Ianto watched as she hurried away. Shaking his head, he closed the door and felt a pair of arms snake around his waist.

"Jack." Ianto laughed and placed his hands over the top of Jack's, which were placed gently over his stomach.

"Yes?" Jack murmured into Ianto's ear.

"Your auntie has just woke me up to ask who, apart from anybody who lives in this house, is my closest friend." Ianto turned to face Jack.

"Really?" Jack gave Ianto a quick peck on the lips. "Did she give you a reason?"

"Nope." Ianto shook his head.

"She's up to something." Jack stated. "Who did you say was your closest friend?"

"Well at first I said you but then she said that it had to be somebody who didn't live in this house. Then I said any of the Harkness' servants." Ianto answered honestly.

"Oh, you said I was just your friend?" Jack mocked and laughed at Ianto's facial expression.

"I didn't mean it like that. I don't really have many friends and you're the closest of them all." Ianto started rubbing circles into Jack's back.

"I know, I'm just messing with you." Jack laughed. "I wonder what Cassandra has planned..."

Ianto wanted to laugh at this. Not only did he need to find out what Cassandra had planned, but he also had to see what Carys was up to...If only there was an easy way...

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	44. Chapter 44

Ianto lay as still and silently as possible in the darkness. Listening carefully, Ianto tried to determine whether or not Jack was asleep from the sound of his breathing. He couldn't see him as they had been spooning and Jack was still lying behind Ianto with his arm draped comfortably over Ianto, holding him in place.

After another few minutes, Ianto finally decided that Jack's deep breathing did, in fact, mean that he was sleeping. Slowly lifting Jack's arm up, Ianto slid out of the bed and placed it gently on top of the duvet. He waited to see if Jack stirred after his movements and once he was satisfied that Jack would remain asleep, he quickly and quietly exited the bedroom.

Padding down the staircase in only his pyjama bottoms and socks, Ianto listened out for anybody else going on a midnight wander. Everywhere seemed quiet and Ianto walked, now confident he was the only one awake, into the living room.

He made sure the door clicked shut behind him and dropped onto the chair. Sighing, Ianto rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands. He had managed to be alone but he had no idea what he was going to do now. He could hardly search Carys' room to see why she had searched his. Two wrongs don't make a right, Ianto grinned as he recalled the Harkness' head servant, Mary, scolding him for throwing a potato at Sophie, a fellow servant, after she had "accidently" hit him with one.

A cough quickly brought Ianto back to the present.

"Ianto?" It was Cassandra.

"Hi Cassandra." Ianto smiled, tiredly.

"What on earth are you doing up at this hour?" Cassandra sat on the chair facing him, concerned. "Not had an argument with Jack I hope?"

Ianto chuckled lightly. "No, me and Jack are all good at the moment." Ianto considered his next response carefully. "I was restless and didn't want to wake him, so I went for a wander and ended up here." He gestured to the room.

Cassandra nodded slowly. "Is there anything you want to talk to me about?"

Ianto shook his head. "Not really."

Cassandra searched her boy's face for any clues to what he had been thinking about before she walked in. Finding none, she stood up. "I'd better get back to bed. You know where to find me if you want to talk, Ianto." She placed a quick kiss to Ianto's cheek. "Good night."

"Goodnight, Cassandra." Ianto smiled at her as she left the room.

He sat quietly for a minute, thinking about Carys and whether or not he should have told Cassandra about her. Just as he made his decision, the door opened.

"Actually, there is something I want to talk to you about, Cassandra." Ianto announced, assuming that it was Cassandra coming back.

"Go ahead, I'm not going to tell anybody." Carys laughed from the doorway.

Ianto's brain went blank. He had absolutely no idea what to say.

"Aren't you going to say hello?" Carys smiled in her usual, friendly way and sat in the same seat that Cassandra had sat in just minutes ago.

"Hello." Ianto muttered.

"That's better." Carys crossed her legs and looked at Ianto. She didn't appear to have anything fiendish on her mind but Ianto knew better than to trust appearances.

"What do you want Carys?" Ianto asked.

"I want to apologize for going through your things. I don't know why I did it. I just did." Carys looked sincere.

Ianto watched Carys, trying in vain to notice any signs of her lying.

Carys continued. "Maybe I was a bit jealous. You and Jack seem to have everything going for you at the moment. I want somebody to share my life with; the way you share yours with Jack, and Jack shares his with you."

This seemed like a believable reason to Ianto.

"I understand." He said finally and Carys' face filled with relief. "I just wish that you hadn't said all those horrible things to me."

"I know. I'm so sorry, Ianto." Carys said.

Ianto nodded and smiled. "I accept your apology."

"Thanks Ianto." Carys grinned back and made to stand up. "I'm glad we've made up before yours and Jack's party..." Carys' face dropped dramatically. "Oops...Forget I said anything."

"No..." Ianto stood up to stop her leaving the room. "What party?"

Carys sighed. "If I tell you will you promise to not tell Cassandra?"

"Yes." Ianto replied, simply.

"Cassandra is planning you and Jack a surprise party to celebrate your relationship." Carys explained quickly.

"That's why she wanted to know who my closest friends are." Ianto nodded, understanding now.

"Yeah. I'm in charge of the guest list." Carys looked proud of herself. "Now that you know, is there anybody in particular that you want invited?"

Ianto thought about it quickly. "Not really. All my close friends live here and I doubt Linda Harkness would allow her servant's to come to mine and Jack's party."

"Okay then. Would you like the twins invited?" Carys asked.

"Oh yes. We can't have a party without them." Ianto nodded.

"Right. I'm going to make sure your party is so different and much more exciting that anybody else's." Carys declared.

"I'm not bothered about anything too fancy or big." Ianto admitted.

"Don't worry. It'll be perfect." Carys assured him.

Standing up, Ianto looked at the clock. It read 00:59am. He should really be getting back to bed in case Jack woke up.

"I'm going back to bed now." Ianto stated. "I'm glad we had this talk, Carys."

"Me too, Ianto. Good night." Carys smiled up at him.

"Good night." With that, he left the room and padded back upstairs to bed.

Carys sat waiting. Just over five minutes had passed since Ianto went to bed and she was sure that he wasn't coming back down. It was just in time, too. The clock read 01:05am.

Walking across the living room, Carys picked up the phone and dialled the familiar number. The phone rang five times before anybody answered.

"Hello?" The voice on the other end asked.

"Hi. It's me." Carys said quietly.

"Ah good. I wasn't sure you'd ring. Are they going ahead with the party?" The voice replied.

"Yeah, the party is going ahead and I've managed to convince Cassandra that I should be in charge of the guest list." Carys smiled and twisted the telephone cord around her finger. "You're practically the guest of honour, Linda."

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Thanks for reading :) Don't forget to review! :)


	45. Chapter 45

Ianto gently closed the bedroom door behind him and turned his attention to creeping over to the bed; Jack had said last night that he was really tired and he didn't want to wake him.

"Ianto, where have you been? It's 3am." A voice suddenly broke through the silence. Jack was sat up in bed, sleepily rubbing his eyes.

Ianto jumped slightly and looked at Jack. It was obvious that Jack had been awake before he entered the room. Evidently he was waiting for Ianto to return.

"I couldn't sleep so I went downstairs." Ianto gave up on creeping and almost jumped into the bed beside Jack. Wrapping an arm around Jack's naked waist, Ianto continued. "I was talking to Carys..."

"Oh? What was she doing up at this time?" Jack questioned as he drew Ianto in closer.

"I don't really know...You'd never guess what she told me." Ianto smiled and kissed Jack's chest briefly.

"Mmm...What did she tell you?" Jack sighed and closed his eyes. It was clear to Ianto that he was half asleep already.

"She said that Cassandra has been up to something." Ianto watched Jack's reaction carefully and giggled to himself. Jack's eyes had snapped open and he suddenly seemed much more awake.

"Did she say what?" Jack sat up a more until they both sat cross-legged on the bed, facing each other.

"Yes." Ianto nodded and paused.

Jack waited for Ianto to continue; when he didn't, he urged him. "Well? What has she been up to?"

"Oh yeah...She said that Cassandra has been planning a surprise party for us. Sort of like an engagement party." Ianto saw Jack's brow furrow. Taking his hand in his own, he continued. "Obviously we can't get married so she's throwing us a party to celebrate our relationship. Only close friends are allowed so it's just going to be a small affair but still, they're going to be celebrating US!"

A smile spread across Jack's face. "Come here, you." Jack pulled Ianto towards him and lay down; kissing him deeply on the mouth. After a minute, Jack pulled back slightly and looked into Ianto's eyes. "I can honestly say that when I first met you, I couldn't imagine my life with you, but now, I couldn't imagine my life without you. There's no way I'm going back to being an imitation heterosexual now. Not for anything. You're the only thing that matters to me now."

Ianto quickly looked away. What Jack had just told him was the sweetest thing he'd ever heard but he felt silly about the tears that were welling up in his eyes.

Jack saw how uncomfortable Ianto looked and changed the subject slightly. "So when is our party?"

"I don't know. Carys didn't say." Ianto frowned.

"You should ask her tomorrow." Jack stated and lay down with Ianto.

Nodding, Ianto yawned and closed his eyes.

"Yeah...I'll do it tomorrow. Time to get some sleep now though." Ianto yawned again and curled up against Jack.

"G'night Ianto." Jack whispered. Smiling to himself as he realised that his boyfriend was already fast asleep.

"The party is a 3pm tomorrow," Carys said down the phone. "Yes it is formal...yes...okay, see you tomorrow."

Carys hung up the phone. "Jessica Evans said that she can make it. That's seven people so far."

"Nine if you count the twins." Cassandra nodded. "And then you need to include all the servants here and me so that'll be around 15...I think."

"Either way, that's a good number. Especially considering Ianto and Jack's past...I mean, I'm surprised that they actually have 15 friends." Carys laughed.

"Carys!" Cassandra frowned and Carys immediately shut up. There was no way she would risk being sent away from the party planning now. Not when it was so close to working.

"Sorry miss. I don't know why I said that. It won't happen again." She apologized.

"Too right it won't." Cassandra smiled acceptingly and ticked Jessica as attending on the list. "Right, I'm going to go and tell the boys that they need to pick up some things from the shop for me tomorrow. That way they won't be around when we're setting everything up and people are arriving."

"Okay then. I'll just check through the lists and make sure we haven't forgotten anything." Carys grinned.

Cassandra hurried from the room to search for the boys. Once Carys was sure that she was gone, she picked up the phone and dialled someone's number.

The phone rang 3 times before it was answered.

"Hello?" A voice asked.

"Hi, it's me." Carys replied. "The party is at 3pm tomorrow. I'll let you in at 3:30pm to avoid everybody else. It'll ruin the "surprise" if somebody else sees you."

"Good. I'll knock on the front door?" The voice asked.

"No, wait behind the statue in the back garden. I'll come and get you when the coast is clear." Carys clarified.

"Okay then. See you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow, Linda." Carys grinned and hung up the phone.

Just as Carys started to sift through the lists, Cassandra walked back into the room.

"Everything's sorted?" She asked.

"Everything is definitely sorted." Carys replied. "This is going to be the best party ever!"


	46. Chapter 46

"Jack?" Cassandra shouted up the stairs. Soft thuds could be heard approaching the top of the stairs.

"Yeah?" Sure enough, Jack's head appeared over the banister.

"I told your Aunt Hannah that you would take Ianto and visit her today." Cassandra smiled up at her nephew.

"Right. Are we going for dinner or just a cup of tea or something?" Jack asked.

"I think it'll just be for a cup of tea because I've got some things I need your help with so you'll have to be home by 3 o'clock." Cassandra checked her watch. It read 11:30am so if he went now, she would have enough time to get everything ready for the party."

"Okay then. I'll just go and tell Ianto and then we'll be off." Jack nodded and disappeared from the top of the stairs.

Cassandra smiled. Everything seemed to be going according to plan.

"Yan, Cassandra says we've got to go and visit my Aunt Hannah today. We've got to go now though because she needs us back by 3pm to help her. I wonder why she's sending us out of the way?" Jack laughed.

"Hmm...Couldn't be the party she's planning, could it?" Ianto replied, sarcastically. "I didn't know you had an Aunt Hannah."

"Well she's not actually my Aunt. I've just always called her my Aunt. She's just Cassandra's closest friend. They've known each other since birth...Well, almost since birth. She'll probably be fine about us; that'll be why Cassandra told her we'd visit. That and to get us out of the way while she prepares for the party." Jack explained and quickly started changing into smarter clothes.

"Why are you changing?" Ianto asked.

"Well I want to look my best for when we come home. We're going to a party, remember?" Jack winked.

"Oh yeah." Ianto grinned and looked in his side of the wardrobe for some smarter clothes. "Jack, I've only got really smart suits. I don't want to look like I knew what was going on but I don't want to wear my too casual clothes."

"You can borrow one of my dress shirts, if you like. A dress shirt can be excused because you'll want to make a good first impression on Aunt Hannah. But it'll also look smart enough for a sophisticated party." Jack winked again and held up a red shirt against Ianto's body. "Red is definitely your colour."

Ianto laughed and took the shirt from Jack and kissed him. "Thanks. I'll look like a Harkness."

"You don't need a shirt to look like a Harkness." Jack shook his head and chuckled.

"You're right." Ianto sighed. "I've got this ring to prove it" Ianto spun round and wagged his finger at Jack.

Jack waited until Ianto had finished pulling on the new shirt before pulling him into a warm embrace. "Are you ready to meet my Aunt Hannah?"

Ianto nodded, enthusiastically.

Linking his fingers with Ianto, Jack led the way out of their bedroom, outside and headed for Hannah's house.

"Her house is just around this corner." Jack pointed out. They'd walked for about 20 minutes and were just passing through a small village. "She's got a daughter; she's called Rachel. I think she'll be about 14 years old now."

Ianto listened intently, gently swinging his and Jack's arms back and forth.

"She knows we're coming, right?" Ianto asked as they walked around the corner Jack had just pointed out.

"Cassandra said she does. I'd imagine she knows all about the party and knows how long to keep us occupied for." Jack nodded.

"Is it that house over there?" Ianto pointed and waved.

Jack laughed when he saw who Ianto was waving at. Hannah was standing at her door, waving at them.

"Jack! It's so good to see you." Hannah wrapped her arms around Jack and hugged him tight. Pulling back, she studied his face quickly before turning to Ianto. "You must be Jack's boyfriend?"

Ianto nodded.

Hannah glanced down to see Ianto's hand firmly gripping Jack's. The poor boy must be nervous, she thought.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Ianto." Hannah held out her hand.

"Pleasure's all mine." Ianto smiled shakily and took her hand in his free one.

Hannah gave him a warm smile. "Let's go inside. Rachel has been dying to meet you, Ianto."

"Really?" Ianto raised his eyebrows.

"Oh yes. Cassandra has told us all about you and she wants to know if you're really as cute as Cass said you were." Hannah winked at Jack and stepped aside to let them in.

Jack grinned at Ianto and gestured for him to go in first.

Still not leaving go of Jack's hand, Ianto took a deep breath and stepped inside. Looking around, Ianto noticed that the passage was decorated with frames. He spotted Jack and the twins in quite a few. There was another girl in most of them who he didn't recognize; Rachel, perhaps?

"I'm just going to set up the tea in the front room. You can stay here and have a look at the photos until I'm ready, if you like. Jack can explain what's in most of them." Hannah patted Ianto's arm and hurried into the front room.

"Is that Rachel?" Ianto pointed to a little girl sitting next to Jack in one photo.

"Yeah, I was 9 in that photo. She would have been 5." Jack nodded.

"Where are you in that photo?" Ianto asked and pointed to the same photo as before.

"The holiday cottage that we went to the other week, I think." Jack replied.

"I thought I'd saw that lake somewhere." Ianto grinned. "Are there any recent ones?"

"They get more recent as you move towards the front room." Jack led Ianto further into the passage. "Here, this one is from last year at the cottage."

The photo showed Jack, Rachel and the twins sitting on some rocks by the lake. The sun was shining brightly and reflecting off the water. Rachel stood behind Jack, sticking her tongue out at the back of his head. Jack, apparently unaware of the face-pulling, smiled at the camera. It was an award-winning, movie star smile, Ianto thought. The twins stood at either end, both looked like they had been laughing at the time the photo was being taken.

"We'll have to get one with you in this summer." Jack stated.

"Definitely." Hannah stood in the doorway. "The tea's ready."

Jack smiled at her and led Ianto into the front room. Jack and Ianto sat on the sofa and Hannah sat on the armchair; there was a seat spare next to Ianto. Hannah started pouring the tea into 4 cups and just as Ianto was about to ask who the fourth cup was for, a girl walked in.

"Sorry I'm late, mother. I was with Emily and we got talking; lost track of time." The girl sat down next to Ianto without looking.

"Ianto, this is Rachel, Rachel this is Ianto, my boyfriend." Jack introduced them as he passed them both a cup of tea.

"Ah so you're the cutie that Cass was telling me about." Rachel took a quick sip of tea before placing it on a saucer on the coffee table. "How's life with Mr Harkness?"

Ianto smiled at her and joked. "I'm just about coping."

Jack's jaw dropped. "Cheeky. You love living with me."

Ianto laughed and nodded, leaning into Jack he spoke again. "It's much better than my life before and Cassandra has been so kind to me."

Rachel nodded. "Cassandra really is remarkable. Especially considering the way Linda and Paul treated you; it would have been much easier for her to just take their side instead of fight for you two." Noticing Jack's confused look, Rachel explained. "Cassandra brought us up to date with everything."

"Ah, I see. I don't want to be rude but can we change the topic? I really don't want to talk about my mother today." Jack asked.

"Yeah, no problem." Hannah agreed and turned to Ianto. "Cassandra said that Jack took you to the cottage the other week?"

Ianto nodded. "Yeah, it was really amazing. I can understand why everybody goes so often. It was such a beautiful place and so secluded. Perfect getaway" Ianto grinned.

"We should all go sometime soon." Rachel thought aloud. "I hope Jack cooked you breakfast in bed, Ianto."

Ianto laughed as Jack blushed. "He tried. It didn't go too well."

Jack groaned as Ianto started telling Hannah and Rachel all about their stay at the cottage.

"I told Cassandra that we'd be back for 3 o'clock." Jack said as he looked at his watch. It was 2:35pm now and it took them just over 20 minutes to walk here. Leaving now would give them enough time to walk to the party without turning up all sweaty and out of breath.

"Ah yeah, I almost got carried away there." Hannah chuckled as she, too, checked her watch. "It's been lovely seeing you boys. Please come back soon. I don't want to have to have another huge catch up. I'd rather see you more often."

"I will come over more often now that I live at Cassandra's." Jack replied as they walked into the passage.

"That invitation includes you too, Ianto." Hannah told him. "Even if it isn't with Jack; I still want to see you."

"I will." Ianto nodded and smiled as she pulled him into a hug.

Once Hannah had left go, he gave Rachel a hug and moved over to the door, waiting for Jack to say his goodbyes.

Kissing both girls on the cheek, Jack promised to visit next week or if he was unable to, he promised to call them.

"Say hi to Cassandra for me!" Hannah shouted as the boys walked up the garden path.

"Will do." Jack called back and waved as the door shut.

The pair walked in silence until they were around the corner.

"You ready for a party?" Jack asked as he laced his fingers with Ianto's.

"Definitely." Ianto grinned and quickly kissed his boyfriend.

They were 20 minutes away from their party, completely unaware of the surprise that awaited them.

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That took a bit longer than I expected :S But I finally got a chance to upload it. Hope you all like it and please don't forget to review. Next chapter should be up soon :)


	47. Chapter 47

"Quick, they're coming! Everybody hide!" Cassandra ushered everybody into their dedicated hiding places.

A moment of silence passed. Just when Cassandra was about to get out from behind the sofa and announce that it was a false alarm, the door opened and quickly banged shut again.

"Cassandra, we're back!" Jack shouted from the hallway.

As instructed, everybody remained in position. About a minute passed as the boys took their coats and shoes off.

"Cassandra?" Jack called as he walked into the living room with Ianto close behind.

"SURPRISE!" Everybody jumped from their hiding places as the boys entered the room.

Ianto laughed and Jack let his jaw fall open in shock.

"What's going on?" Jack asked as Cassandra ran to hug them both.

"It's a party, silly." Cassandra laughed and kissed them both on the cheek.

"We can see that. What is it for?" Ianto questioned, trying to act like he didn't already know.

"It's to celebrate your relationship." Carys stepped forward.

"Aw really? You didn't have to do this, Cassandra." Jack smiled, appreciatively.

"I know I didn't have to. I wanted to do something nice for you both." Cassandra stepped back from hugging the boys.

"Thank you." Ianto smiled and looked around to see who had turned up. There were all the Banks' servants, some of the Harkness servants, Jessica Evans, the twins, Hannah and Rachel.

"How did you get here before us?" Ianto asked openly to them.

"We had a taxi booked for as soon as you left our street." Rachel laughed and moved forward to give them both a hug. "Congratulations."

Jack laughed. "Congratulations for what?"

"I'm not too sure." Rachel furrowed her brows and thought for a moment. "For finding each other?"

"Here here!" Cassandra agreed and took a glass from the buffet table. "To Jack and Ianto!"

Everyone followed suit and toasted the boys. For what, they weren't exactly sure but nobody complained. They were all just as happy as Cassandra for the couple.

About 45 minutes had passed by since the party started and both boys were happily circling amongst the guests. Nobody noticed Carys slip out of the room.

Before opening the door, Carys looked up and down the hallway and listened carefully for any signs of people approaching. Once she was sure she was alone, Carys opened the door and closed it behind her.

"Linda?" Carys whispered towards the end of the driveway. It was quiet outside and her quite voice travelled.

Sure enough, the bush at the end of the drive started rustling and Linda stepped out from behind it, quickly brushing any dirt from her clothes; she had came dressed in a smart, flower patterned dress. It had small, white frills around the collar and 3 buttons running up to the neck. The sleeves ran down to her wrists where similar buttons and frills could be seen. It hung just past her knees and revealed nothing of her figure. Just the kind of composed, covered-up style dress anybody would expect from Mrs. Harkness.

"I am here." Linda gave a quick, curt wave and hurried forward. "Is everything ready for me?"

"Yeah everybody's just socialising in the living room. If you follow me in, I'll make sure the coast is clear and you can make your grand entrance." Carys nodded and pointed towards the door.

"Right then, let's go." Linda nudged Carys towards the door.

Carys nodded again and half skipped up the steps to the door. Opening it slightly, she checked for any people. Again, once she was satisfied that nobody was there, Carys entered the house and beckoned for Linda to follow.

"I'll go back into the living room and continue serving drinks and you can just come in when you're ready, is that okay?" Carys asked.

"Yes that is fine, dear. I will not be long." Linda grinned maliciously.

Carys nodded and chose to ignore the look that Linda gave her. Walking back into the living room, Carys grabbed a tray and quickly started handing out drinks, almost spilling one on Cassandra because she was too eager for the show to begin.

"So how did you realise that you had feelings for each other?" One of the Harkness servant's asked Ianto.

Jack looked curiously at Ianto, waiting patiently to hear his answer.

"Well you remember when Jack was ill? It was not long after I was first allowed to leave the kitchen and servant areas." The servant nodded. "I was assigned as his personal servant whilst he was bed bound. He only had a 24 hour stomach bug but was ordered to spend 2 weeks in bed. We spoke lots over that time and I really got to know him. He was nothing like how I imagined." Ianto smiled.

"How did you imagine me to be?" Jack raised an eyebrow.

Ianto took a sip of his drink before answering. "You know, a stuck up, snobby rich boy who always depended on his mammy and daddy."

Cassandra had been listening to the conversation and chuckled at his answer whilst Jack frowned.

"Thanks..." He mumbled.

"Aw but Jack, you know I love you." Ianto grinned and placed his head on his boyfriend's shoulder.

Jack opened his mouth to answer but was interrupted quickly.

"What a nice little party this is." Linda sneered.

"Linda? What are you doing here?" Cassandra stood up and glared at her sister-in-law.

"Well, I came to my son's party. Although, I cannot understand what we are celebrating; their relationship is a damn disgrace." Linda replied and gave Ianto a dirty look.

"How dare you!" Cassandra raised her voice in shock.

"How dare I what? How dare I voice the opinion of everybody in this room? How dare I try to protect my only son from that piece of vile scum?" Linda spat and pointed at Ianto.

Jack defensively wrapped an arm around Ianto's shoulders and pulled him closer. Ianto just looked on.

"Mother, I want you to leave. Now." Jack stated calmly.

"I am not going anywhere, son. Not until you come home with me. There is still time for you and Jessica to get married. We have not cancelled your wedding yet. We will just rush the invitations..." Linda half pleaded and half demanded.

"No!" Jack stood up with his hand on Ianto's shoulder. "Mother, when will you realise that Jessica and I were never happy?"

Linda looked around when somebody coughed.

"He's right, you know. We never liked each other in a marriage sort of way." Jessica was sitting on the sofa next to Rachel.

"What are you doing here?" Linda seemed genuinely confused at Jessica's presence.

"Jack's one of my best friends! I'm here to celebrate him finding happiness and unlike his own mother, I'm going to stand by him, no matter what." Jessica stated.

Linda's jaw dropped slightly as she turned back to Jack. "I do not want to stand here a moment longer. Jack, come on." Linda turned towards the door.

"I'm not coming with you." Jack said.

Linda spun back around to face him. She was about to shout at him for being an immature and stubborn boy; ready to tell him what a mistake he was making and that he wasn't old or experienced enough to know what's best for him. Sighing when she saw his face, she realised that she wasn't going to get through to him now.

"Fine." Linda snapped. "If that is what you want." Jack grinned slightly. "But listen here, Jack, when you realise that you are making a huge mistake, you cannot come crawling back to your father and I. I want nothing more to do with you. You are not my son."

Jack's face showed no sign of regret.

Turning around once more, Linda walked steadily to the door. "Carys, I expect you'll be coming with me?"

"Carys?" Cassandra raised her eyebrows, clearly confused by the situation.

"I might as well. It's obvious that I'm not going to get anywhere by staying here." Carys shrugged her shoulders and followed Linda. Stopping at the door, she turned and faced Ianto "You two deserve each other. Disgusting people..."

With that, she closed the door behind her and Linda and the party was left in silence.

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Thanks for reading :) Please don't forget to review :)


	48. Chapter 48

Ianto let out a breath that he hadn't realised he'd been holding. Things were starting to make sense to him now. The other day when Carys had been in his and Jack's room, she was snooping. She was looking for something to use against them. The only thing he couldn't understand now was why would Carys do something like that? He hadn't done anything to her and as far as he knew, neither had Jack.

"Right," Cassandra clapped her hands together in an attempt to clear the air. "Now that that's over, who wants another drink?"

The remaining servant's took their hint and quickly began circulating with drinks trays.

"Jack, I need to talk to you." Ianto gently took hold of Jack's arm and guided him to the hallway; away from the guests.

"Are you okay?" Jack asked when the door clicked shut.

"Yeah I'm fine. It's just that the other day, I caught Carys going through our drawers in our room." Ianto explained in a hushed tone.

"What?" Jack raised his eyebrows. "Why?"

"I don't know. She told me that she was jealous of you and I. Then she spilled the beans about our party." Ianto got straight to the point.

"She was jealous..." Jack repeated, thoughtfully.

"That's what she said." Ianto nodded.

"Ianto, whose drawers was she looking through?" Jack asked.

"I caught her looking through mine but she could have already looked through yours." Ianto thought back.

"Ah can't you see? She wasn't jealous of _us_. She was jealous of _you_. She's been a servant here since as long as I can remember; surrounded by girls, except the servants boys. She always hovered around me whenever I came to stay and come to think of it, when Jessica was my fiancée, she was horrible to her too. It's because I love you that she's jealous. She wasn't trying to hurt me...not directly, anyway...she was trying to get you out of the picture." Jack clicked his fingers as the last pieces of the 'puzzle' came together. "She probably thought that by working with Linda, she would be able to get her hooks into me. Carys thought that by getting into her good books, Linda would have to make her my next fiancée. Stupid girl." Jack shook his head.

"Jack, has anyone ever told you that you have an overactive imagination?" Ianto laughed.

"It makes sense!" Jack defended himself.

"It does make sense but I can't imagine Carys doing that." Ianto sighed. "I don't know. Can we just forget about it? You can tell Cassandra your big idea later; once the party's over. Then we can pretend nothing happened.

"Sure." Jack smiled apologetically at his boyfriend. He'd been through so much over the past couple of months; they both had. Rubbing his hands up and down Ianto's arms, Jack nodded towards the closed door. "Do you want to go back into the party now?"

Ianto nodded.

Jack leaned forward and placed a sweet kiss to Ianto's lips. Pulling away, he smiled. "I love you."

Ianto chuckled softly. "What was that for?"

"I just felt like it." Jack shrugged his shoulders and grinned at his boyfriend.

"I can learn to live with that." Ianto returned the grin. "I love you too."

Jack had heard this statement so many times from Ianto but he still couldn't help but beam proudly every time he said it.

"Come on then, they'll be worrying where we are." Jack nodded back towards the closed door, took Ianto's hand and led them back into the room.

As they shut the door behind them again, Cassandra looked up. "Ah here they are. We've been waiting for you two to reappear. I have an announcement to make."

Everybody was sitting around the room chatting quietly with glasses of champagne and sure enough, Jack and Ianto were handed a glass.

"Is everybody here?" Cassandra quickly scanned the room. "Yeah...I think so. Here it goes then. Can I have everyone's attention please?" A few people made hushing noises for effect and the room quickly fell silent. "Thank you. Erm...where to start? I don't want to make a huge scene or anything because I will definitely start crying so I'll try to keep it short and sweet. We all know why we're here; to celebrate jack and Ianto's relationship and I'm sure recent...interruptions...made it very clear that it is something worth celebrating. These two boys have been through so much, I'm not going to go into details about it but I'm sure you will all agree that it is true love that kept them together." Cassandra sniffed. "I'm sorry, I said I would keep this short and sweet. I think Jack and Ianto deserve something special, which is why they have each other." Cassandra chuckled slightly at her own joke and Jack grinned and shook his head. "What I'm trying to say is that I got them a little something to help them start their life together."

Cassandra hurried over to the coffee table in the middle of the room and pulled an envelope from one of the drawers.

"Here you go boys." Cassandra handed over the envelope.

Jack looked questioningly at Ianto, who nodded at him to open it. Jack looked down and read the front "For my two favourite boys. Cassandra xxx" it was written in perfect calligraphy. Turning it over, Jack carefully tore into the envelope, he pulled out a small piece of card; it couldn't be any bigger than a coaster. The card had an address written on, in the same hand writing as the envelope; Jack flipped it over to find 2 keys stuck to the other side.

"Thanks Cassandra." Jack and Ianto each hugged Cassandra. "Ianto, we can go for a midnight wander now and be able to let ourselves in."

Cassandra laughed.

"What?" Jack raised an eyebrow.

"Those aren't a copy of my house keys, silly." Cassandra turned the card over and pointed out the address. "They're house keys for that address. You're moving in together."

It took a moment for the news to register with Jack. Whilst he was processing the information, Ianto was hugging Cassandra again.

"Thank you so much Cassandra. You really didn't have to do this." Ianto whispered into Cassandra's ear.

"I wanted to, sweetie. You boys deserve it." Cassandra chuckled.

"You know the best bit?" Rachel said to Jack.

"What's the best bit?" Jack raised his eyebrows, still grinning.

"It's just over the road from mine and Hannah's house!" Rachel laughed.

Jack laughed. "That's great! I expect some home cooked meals to be sent over every now and then."

"Every now and then? You'll be getting them at least twice a week!" She nodded and took a sip from her glass.

"I'll only accept them if you and Hannah come to our house for Sunday lunch whenever you can." Jack looked at her seriously.

Rachel pretended to think about it. "Deal."

Jack grinned. "Cassandra, I don 't know what to say."

Cassandra laughed again. "How about "Can I go and see my new house now Auntie Cassandra?""

"Can I go and see my new house Auntie Cassandra?" Jack asked.

"Of course you can." Cassandra smiled. "I'll come by later and bring some of your things over."

Cassandra kissed each boy on the cheek and went upstairs to sort out what the boys would need until they could properly sort everything out.

"So Rachel, are you going to walk me and Ianto home?" Jack asked.

"Sure thing, Harkness." Rachel stood up and placed her glass on the coffee table. "Let me just get my coat and shoes."

Jack and Ianto went into the hallway to wait.

"I can't believe we're properly moving in together, Jack." Ianto grinned and rested his head on Jack's shoulder.

"I know." Jack sighed and kissed the top of Ianto's head. "It's going to be great!"

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This is the final chapter. :'( Hope you all liked it :) Please don't forget to review :)


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